Why is the Singapore GP the Biggest Test of Physical Strength on the F1 Calendar?

With the canceled Russian GP, the drivers enjoyed a long two-week break. After the teams got much-needed time to relax and re-energize, racing resumes at the Singapore GP on the first weekend of October. The much-awaited race at the Marina Bay Street Circuit returns to the F1 calendar after a two-year hiatus because of Covid-19.

The Singapore race is always an exciting prospect for the fans, but arguably not so much for the drivers! Why won’t the drivers be looking forward to the race, you ask? Well, the answer is in the details of the circuit and the race conditions of the Singapore GP.

Why is the Singapore GP one of the most demanding and draining races in F1?

Formula 1’s original night race returns to the fold once again after making its debut in 2008. The drivers go around the 3.14-mile-long street circuit 61 times before seeing the chequered flag.

The lengthy track coupled with the number of laps brings the total distance traveled during the race to about 192 miles. The lengthy track with 23 turns, the second most on a track after Jeddah, usually pushes the two-hour Grand Prix time limit. So we know the drivers will spend a good amount of time on the streets of Singapore.

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The 23 corners aren’t all flat-out corners as well and the longest straight in the race isn’t that long. To be exact, the straight down Raffles Boulevard, the run from turns 5-7, is the longest segment that you can take flat out. However, it is not long enough to give drivers a lot of time to rest during the race.

The plethora of coroners also means plenty of breaking. The Marina Bay Street Circuit records an astounding 81,435kg of braking force over the 61 laps. “There is no respite because you are constantly turning left and right, left and right,” says Hamilton.

Let’s look at the key factor that makes the Singapore GP a grueling race.

Weather: Hot and humid

The hot and humid weather conditions on the bumpy street track is the key factor in making this race an exhausting one. Most would assume that at night, the conditions would be cooler. However, because of Singapore’s geographical location, which is surrounded by water bodies, the island country is extremely humid.

The weather prediction for race day, 2nd October, is 82 degrees Fahrenheit with humidity at 85%. The general temperatures are already high for a race. However, factor in wearing a full fireproof race suit and helmet, in a confined space it can get rather hot. As hot as around 140 degrees Fahrenheit, as the temperatures reach unprecedented levels in the cockpit.

To put things in perspective, divers lose up to 11 pounds during the race. Typically, the drivers lose most of the weight during the race through sweating.

Read More: Why is the Singapore GP Also Called the F1 Night Race?

“By the warm-up lap, your chilled drinks bottle is the temperature of a freshly-poured cup of tea,” Daniel Ricciardo once said. However, drivers need to keep drinking because of excessive sweating and dehydration.

What toll do all these conditions combined take on the drivers and how do they prepare for it?

Training regime for the Singapore GP

Constant mental and physical exertion is the theme of the Singapore Grand Prix. Now to prepare for such a race, the drivers take on a special training regiment.

All drivers, after finishing the European races, embark on special and specific training for the Singapore GP. It consists of the drivers acclimatizing their bodies to the hot conditions of the race. In order to do that, drivers are made to physically exert in extremely hot conditions.

Mercedes driver George Russell’s tweet, where he’s sweating through his cap during the training, is an excellent example. Carlos Sainz’s video of him cycling in a steamy room on his Instagram is another.

The aforementioned weight loss is also the most the drivers experience on any circuit on the calendar.

Read More: Mercedes Explain Strategy Error that Cost Lewis Hamilton the Singapore Win

Similar to every street track, Marina Bay is a bumpy track. So apart from the heat training, the drivers need to train for the bumpy two-hour-long race as well. Probably why former driver Marcus Ericsson believes Singapore “requires double the amount of energy over a single lap compared to Monte Carlo”.

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The cancelation of the Russian GP might have provided the drivers a bit of rest before the race. However, the bumpy and extremely hot street track will push every driver to the limit.

The race winner will probably be decided on the basis of an individual’s strength more than strategic calls.