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The 2022 F1 Singapore GP made a return to the sport after a three-year hiatus. The F1 ecosystem has gone through a lot of changes since we last raced here. Mercedes is no more a dominant force, Lewis Hamilton is no longer the champion, and Sebastian Vettel is retiring at the end of the season.
What makes the 2022 F1 Singapore GP a must-watch is that this time we have a new set of regulations and to add to it, there might be rain on the way. With the sport returning to one of its more spectacular venues, what can we expect from this race weekend? Let's find out!
#1 Max Verstappen wins the 2022 F1 Singapore GP
In terms of the pecking order, both Ferrari and Red Bull should be neck and neck. The track characteristics should lean towards Ferrari as the lack of long straights could be a deterrent for Red Bull.
Having said that, there are other variables at play here. While the pole position on Saturday could once again go to Charles Leclerc, the weekend is expected to be disrupted by rain. Keeping in mind that Ferrari has shown exceptional speed in the wet (Monaco is a prime example), the Italian squad will not be compromised on that front.
Other aspects, however, tilt the balance in favor of Red Bull. The first is Max Verstappen's wet weather prowess. The Red Bull driver is in a league of his own as a wet weather specialist. Add to that 'the strategic acumen' of a team as the final ingredient needed to win a wet race. If we compare Red Bull with Ferrari, there is no competition: Red Bull is simply too far ahead.
Even if the rain stays away and we have a dry race, Ferrari has struggled with its race pace recently. Tire degradation has been a big issue. With the new regulations in play, you can expect Verstappen to line Leclerc up for a move when he encounters tire trouble.
#2 It would not be your typical F1 Singapore GP
The typical F1 Singapore GP was recently described by Lando Norris in a segment with Sky Sports. According to the McLaren driver, the race is a slow burn at the start as everyone minds their Ps and Qs. As soon as the first stop approaches, the intensity rises and continues to do so as factors like tire degradation and excessive heat play a role.
What Norris described as a typical F1 Singapore GP was a consequence of the old set of regulations that the cars were not able to follow closely. The new regulations have been a help on that front. Cars can follow other cars much more easily now and this can leave the leader of the pack vulnerable.
This is not Monaco where you can coast at a pace that is multiple seconds off. Instead, there are sections where you can pull off an overtake. Hence, we won't be seeing a typical F1 Singapore GP where it would be a slow burn at first. Rather, we might see teams pushing from the very first lap in the race.
#3 Bouncing/Porpoising could be a talking point
Singapore tends to be one of the more bumpy rides for F1 cars on the calendar. It used to be physically exhausting even in the previous generation of cars. The new generation of cars is quite bad at riding the kerbs. This has been one of the key criticisms of these regulations. To add to this, the bumpy nature of bouncing/porpoising is more than likely to make a return in this race.
The track has not been raced on for a while, the surface has not been relaid, and the new generation of cars can't ride the bumps. Expect a rather uncomfortable evening for the F1 drivers in Singapore this weekend.
#4 Mercedes could struggle this weekend
There are two possible scenarios in which this weekend could play out. The first is where the F1 Singapore GP sees rain causing a few disruptions. The second is if the weather clears and we don't see many disruptions. Looking at the performance trend (unless Mercedes has made remarkable improvements), both scenarios tend not to favor the German team.
Looking at the track layout, it is one where Mercedes should be strong. The team, however, was one of the worst affected by the bumps on the Baku track. It wasn't long ago that Lewis Hamilton struggled to get out of the car after the F1 Azerbaijan GP.
If bumps are an issue or the track is dry, Mercedes might be faced with compromising factors and forced to make alterations to the car that it would not make on a normal track.
Things could get even worse for the team with rain disruptions as Mercedes is not the best on the grid when it comes to firing up its tires in the wet.
The team should still be the third fastest this weekend but its aspirations of challenging for a win at the F1 Singapore GP do not look good.
#5 We could see quite a few retirements
The conditions for the F1 Singapore GP are exhausting! A relentless track with walls all around you means that you have to stay focused all the time. Having said that, cars are now far more physical than they used to be earlier. The slow speed inefficiency of these new generation cars can be an issue at times. With as many as 24 corners in a single lap, expect a few drivers to make a mistake here and there and end up tagging the wall.
A bigger share of retirements, however, will stem from car reliability issues. The F1 Singapore GP is not only taxing on the drivers but is also a huge test for the cars as well. Soaring temperatures and high humidity will result in an extra focus on cooling. The challenge faced by the cars here is unprecedented and hence we might see a few of them breaking down throughout the weekend.
