Street circuits are notorious for being mentally taxing despite the slower speeds involved, requiring full concentration at all times and little respite time on the short straights.
But Singapore is a beast like no other. It is renowned for being one of the toughest races to compete physically and mentally, which means it requires a kind of preparation like no other race.
Daniel Ricciardo says his first Singapore Grand Prix in 2011 remains the toughest physical activity he’s ever done. “I was unprepared, and it looks like I’ve been partying all week!” he tells Autosport.
“I hadn’t realized how wet and relentless the nature of this circuit with no real straights to rest. I had never really experienced anything like this.
It didn’t help that Ricciardo was then racing for the latecomer team HRT, meaning he found himself four laps from the checkered flag in 19th place – hardly the same kind of motivation as those who were fighting at the front would have appreciated.
“I just remember that race was just a chore for me,” Ricciardo recalled. “I got out of the car and I remember saying it was physically the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
“I also made a promise to never feel that pain again in a Formula 1. Since then Singapore has been pretty good.
F1 drivers can be elite athletes working with performance coaches and their teams to try and unlock more human performance. But their steady level of fitness and training plan is something that still needs to be added from Singapore’s perspective.
The heat is one of the main factors that F1 drivers have to adapt to when racing in Singapore. The year-round average humidity in Singapore is over 80%, while the temperature in October is always around 30°C given its proximity to the equator. Drivers may be used to hot conditions when racing in the Middle East or mainland Europe in the height of summer, but nothing comes close to the sapping conditions of Singapore.
If you follow F1 drivers on social media, you’ll have seen some of the inventive ways their coaches have recently prepared them for this challenge. Last week, Carlos Sainz posted a video of himself on Instagram riding an exercise bike in a sauna to try to get used to the heat it will be in the cockpit during the race in Singapore. Other approaches include adding extra layers of clothing for routine workouts, or simply sitting in the sauna at very high heat to teach the body what to expect. Every workout gets a lot harder, but it will be worth it on race day.
But it’s not just the heat and humidity that make Singapore such a grueling challenge. Unlike the high-speed street lanes of Jeddah and Baku, Singapore’s average speed is quite low. Charles Leclerc’s pole lap in 2019 was 1m36.217, about eight seconds short of Sergio Perez’s pole time in Jeddah this year – despite the track in Jeddah being 1km longer than Singapore. The 23-corner layout also means there’s not much chance of taking a break.
All this makes the Singapore race undoubtedly one of the longest of the season. Since joining the calendar in 2008, the Singapore Grand Prix has never been completed in less than an hour and 51 minutes – in 2018 – and reached F1’s two-hour time limit at four occasions. No other race comes so close to the time limit so often, which means endurance is an important element for riders to prepare for, especially heat management for such a long time.
One of the additional challenges for drivers is adapting to the time zone. This might be something to keep in mind at every race, but Singapore is trickier because it’s a night race. The best approach is to stick to European time zones, which means bedtime is around 6am before getting up mid-afternoon. The teams are making special preparations for Singapore, ensuring hotels know not to disturb their housekeeping staff and that unconventional sleep patterns are catered for.
More: Why a good night’s sleep isn’t just an issue for the Singapore GP
Nicholas Latifi will make his first appearance in Singapore this weekend and admits he doesn’t know how to balance his preparations. He always preferred to get to the races as early as possible so he could adapt “not only to the time but to the climate”.
“I haven’t done Singapore yet, but it’s strange,” says Latifi. “I guess you want to get used to the climate early on, but the weather you don’t, because it stays over the UK! So, the later you go out, the easier it will be for you to get through on time. It’s difficult.
The Singapore Flyer at sunset
Photo by: Joe Portlock / Motorsport Images
The additional challenge this time in Singapore will be the new generation of cars. A lot has changed since 2019, with the regulations overhauled for this year and the increased weight of cars making them slower in low-speed corners, which made lanes more difficult.
And then there’s the twist the teams have encountered this year, which will be even tougher for the teams traversing the bumpy streets around Marina Bay. Esteban Ocon told Monza he thought the cars would be as stiff as go-karts hitting the curbs, while Pierre Gasly said it would be extreme racing for everyone. But Singapore remains one of the favorite races on the drivers’ calendar, with everyone eager to get back on track – and for some, to drive it for the first time.
All teams now know how to prepare for Singapore, but after a three-year absence, this will probably be the toughest challenge the drivers have faced in some time.