F1: 5 memorable moments from the Singapore Grand Prix

Up next on the racing agenda is the majestic Singapore Grand Prix. The F1 title race is starting to take shape as we head towards the business end of the calendar, and fans of Lewis Hamilton will be excited owing to his healthy 30-point lead over direct rival Sebastian Vettel.

As we head to South-East Asia, the pace of the Ferrari is a definite advantage on paper, but as has been the case so far, schoolboy errors and some poor decision making has cost the Italian giants dearly in their bid for a first Championship victory since 2007.

But a new day (or night) awaits them this weekend in the first circuit ever to hold a night race in F1. Singapore was the venue for a controversial and criticized move in 2008 when it played host to the sport's first night race as well as being held on a street circuit in the middle of town. Ten years on, however, the track is most definitely here to stay.

The Marina Bay circuit is notorious for being difficult to overtake on, and in just a short span of time has seen a fair number of accidents and memorable moments. Some have been dangerous, and some simply hilarious. As we look forward to this weekend, here is a round-up of some of those iconic moments:

#5 Ferrari fumble on the first lap (2017)

Raikkonen and Vettel limped out on the first lap

Ferrari fans must have been excited to see Sebastian Vettel start the 2017 Singapore GP on pole position. That excitement was short-lived, however, as a first lap melee saw three potential heavyweights knocked out in a single shunt.

Kimi Raikkonen took off brilliantly at first but found himself and his teammate Vettel sandwiching Max Verstappen between them. The Dutchman proceeded to touch tyres with the Iceman and sent Raikkonen out of control and subsequently into his Ferrari partner. Though Vettel did manage to continue momentarily, his car soon spun around and was left without a front wing, forcing both the Ferraris to retire.

The ultimate beneficiary was Lewis Hamilton who took advantage and sped away to claim a crucial victory that may well have sealed the fate of Vettel in the Championship race.

#4 Fernando Alonso wins in a controversial fashion (2008)

Alonso won the inaugural Singapore GP

The inaugural Singapore GP was a harbinger of things to come at the Marina Bay circuit. Under the lights, the F1 drivers looked somewhat dazed at times and an unlikely winner emerged in Fernando Alonso of Renault.

But when the dust settled, it became clear that the win was way more controversial than first thought. Alonso's teammate Nelson Piquet Jr. had crashed after just 14 laps, causing a safety car inclusion that left Alonso out in front. As it turned out, Piquet revealed that managing director Flavio Briatore and executive director of engineering Pat Symonds had ordered the Brazilian to deliberately crash his car so that his teammate could get ahead. Symonds received a 5-year ban from F1 while Briatore was suspended indefinitely after the incident was carefully examined.

#3 Mark Webber turns hitch-hiker (2013)

Mark Webber hitches a ride from Fernando Alonso

The 2013 Singapore GP was the scene of a laugh riot in its closing stages. Sebastian Vettel may have comfortably won the race but he was hardly the talk of the town after all was said and done.

Fernando Alonso, who had secured a podium finish, found himself on a cool-down lap when he spotted Mark Webber's Red Bull in flames on turn 7. The Aussie happened to be looking for a ride to the pits and his fellow driver readily obliged. What ensued was a nervy yet hilarious drive back to the pit-lane for the Spaniard who had fans cheering for him and the man he now had sitting on the top of his Ferrari.

Both received reprimands for the action, however, with Webber even receiving a ten-place grid penalty for the next race.

#2 Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton face off (2011)

Massa and Hamilton had visible issues with each other

Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa had been racing competitively against each other for a while before 2011, but this proved to be the year that the duo couldn't stop laying into each other.

Out of their five accidents together, one took place in Singapore when Hamilton punctured Massa's right rear tyre, and damaged his own car, leading to a pit stop for both. For his troubles, Lewis received a drive-through penalty but Massa clearly wasn't satisfied and later laid into Hamilton once the race was done.

It started with an aggressive slap on the shoulder and a sarcastic 'good job, well done' from the Brazilian with the Brit biting back with 'don't touch me, man'. Heated to say the very least.

#1 Man casually strolls onto track (2015)

A man takes a walk on

track

We've seen a lot of crazy things happen in F1 over the years, but it's unlikely we'll see something like this again.

This glorious moment comes to us from the 2015 Singapore GP when somehow a random human being found himself in the thick of the action at Marina Bay. Sebastian Vettel, the eventual race winner, can be heard shouting, "there is a man on the track" over the radio before cameras spotted the individual casually strolling across the track. CCTV footage showed he had entered through an exposed area of fencing and jumped over as the safety car was deployed.

Needless to say, the man identified as Yogvitam Pravin Dhokia then had to spend six weeks in Changi prison.