2009 Formula 1 - Singapore Grand Prix

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Race Day results - updates

Pos - Driver - Team
1 - Lewis Hamilton - McLaren-Mercedes
2 - Timo Glock - Toyota
3 - Fernando Alonso - Renault
4 - Sebastian Vettel - RBR-Renault
5 - Jenson Button - Brawn-Mercedes
6 - Rubens Barrichello - Brawn-Mercedes
7 - Heikki Kovalainen - McLaren-Mercedes
8 - Robert Kubica - BMW Sauber
9 - Kazuki Nakajima - Williams-Toyota
10 - Kimi Räikkönen - Ferrari
11 - Nico Rosberg - Williams-Toyota
12 - Jarno Trulli - Toyota
13 - Giancarlo Fisichella - Ferrari
14 - Vitantonio Liuzzi - Force India-Mercedes
Ret - Jaime Alguersuari - STR-Ferrari
Ret - Sebastien Buemi - STR-Ferrari
Ret - Mark Webber - RBR-Renault
Ret - Adrian Sutil - Force India-Mercedes
Ret - Nick Heidfeld - BMW Sauber
Ret - Romain Grosjean - Renault

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Singapore Grand Prix Preview - which night owl will fly fastest?

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The outcry over the ultimate result notwithstanding, last year's inaugural Singapore Grand Prix, Formula One racing's first-ever night race, was an outstanding success. And this weekend's follow-up is just as eagerly anticipated.

The 5.073-kilometre Marina Bay Street Circuit is located in the heart of downtown Singapore, and passes several famous landmarks including Saint Andrew's Cathedral, City Hall, the Supreme Court and the Esplanade Bridge.

It comprises public roads and features 23 corners, two of which will be taken at speeds in excess of 100 mph. Running in an anti-clockwise direction it is the only circuit which crosses two bridges and travels beneath a grandstand.

Since this is a night race, teams face the unusual prospect of the track temperature being cooler than the air temperature. This could create slippery conditions for drivers, hence the need for maximum downforce. Over 1,500 light projectors, each with 2,000 watt white metal halide lamps, will be used to illuminate the way.

As usual, everyone has developed bespoke aerodynamic packages, and this time their tyre choice falls between Bridgestone's soft and super-soft tyre compounds. Red Bull desperately need a strong result here to stay in the world championship fight, in both the drivers' and constructors' stakes. They will have a new aero package, as will their main rival, Brawn GP.

"We have a significant aerodynamic upgrade for the BGP001 for this weekend which should bring another good step in performance for the final races of the season," says Ross Brawn. "The nature of the Marina Bay Street Circuit is tight, twisty and very narrow in places with many first- and second-gear corners resulting in low average speeds, so we will be running the car in a high aerodynamic downforce configuration."

Points leader Jenson Button spoke for many when he said: "As last year, we will stay on European timing for the race weekend which means staying awake throughout the night and sleeping most of the day to ensure that we are alert and the body is ready to react in the right way for the evening timetable.

"I spent some time at the factory last week driving the circuit on our simulator which helps with the track layout, gears and downforce levels, so we are well prepared and looking forward to arriving in Singapore and getting the weekend underway."

Lewis Hamilton is also hopeful of a strong performance, with McLaren's final upgrade of the season.

"Last year's inaugural Singapore Grand Prix was a real example of how to host a new Formula One race - fantastic facilities, slick organisation and a unique and interesting track that was not only fun and demanding but also really forced you to push to the limit and take a few risks to get the best from the car," he says. "I remember my race in Singapore last year was all about damage limitation - I was driving with one eye on the world championship and wasn't going to take too many risks. I was happy to finish on the podium. This year, it's very different. I know I'm out of the title hunt and I want to attack these last four races, pushing for as many victories as I can."

Ferrari are quietly hoping the F60 will be quick here, while last year's controversial winner for Renault, Fernando Alonso, says: "I like Singapore because it's quite challenging and there are some interesting corners like the high-speed chicane at Turn 10 where you have to carry a lot of speed and use the curbs. Overtaking isn't easy here, but there are some opportunities. How will the R29 perform this weekend? The car is working well at most circuits so I believe we are competitive enough to get close to the podium, which has to be my target this weekend."

The drivers will all try to stay on European time, and Friday's opening free practice session will start at 1800 hours local time. Qualifying is the latest session of the weekend, kicking off at 2200 hours on Saturday, and the race starts at 2000 hours on Sunday. The local time in Singapore is eight hours ahead of GMT.

source (http://formula1.com)

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After 61 punishing laps of the Marina Bay Street Circuit, the podium featured not one team or driver in the running for the 2009 championship. Instead it was McLaren, Toyota, and Renault celebrating. However, Jenson Button and Brawn left Singapore quietly satisfied, the former having extended his championship lead to 15 points, the latter having all but wrapped up the constructors’ crown with three rounds remaining. We take a team-by-team look at Sunday's race...

McLaren
Lewis Hamilton, P1
Heikki Kovalainen, P7
Hamilton had to disengage and reboot his KERS system after the telemetry suggested a possible impending glitch, but otherwise his MP4-24 performed faultlessly as he controlled the race throughout and stormed to a superb victory that made amends for his crash on the final lap at Monza. Kovalainen was completely overshadowed, but his seventh place brought McLaren’s score to 12 points for their evening’s work and brings them within three points of Ferrari.

Toyota
Timo Glock, P2
Jarno Trulli, P12
Why is it that every time Toyota score a good result it seems to have been through unobtrusive endeavour? Glock was not quite quick enough to run with the three early leaders, but was always in contention for a podium after Rosberg’s pit-exit error. Second was well deserved, and may prove crucial in determining Toyota’s future. Poor old Trulli felt lousy with flu all weekend, lost out to the safety car, and struggled for traction all evening.

Renault
Fernando Alonso, P3
Romain Grosjean, Retired lap 3, brakes
Alonso was delighted with Renault’s first podium of the season, and it certainly could not have come at a better time for the beleaguered team. Grosjean was unable to make any progress, as persistent brake problems brought him retirement after only three laps.

Red Bull
Sebastian Vettel P4
Mark Webber, Retired lap 46, brakes
Vettel was a podium contender right up until the moment he went pit lane speeding on the 38th lap. At times bits fell off his RB5, notably the right-hand mirror, and later he reported that the car was on the limit with its brakes, so he had to lift early and baby them, especially after Webber’s demise on the 46th lap when his failed dramatically. The Australian met trouble early after a great outside pass on Alonso was negated when he was instructed by the stewards to hand places back to the Spaniard and to Glock, dropping from an initial fourth to sixth.

Brawn
Jenson Button, P5
Rubens Barrichello, P6
Both drivers had good opening laps, as Barrichello planned to run a shorter first stint than Button. That all went to plan as the safety car spoiled the latter’s longer run strategy. Later, however, the Brazilian had a problem engaging neutral in his second stop on lap 46. Button, fuelled five laps longer and the fastest man out there at one point in the final stages, was able to sprint by to take fifth place. He hounded Vettel for a while, closing to within 1.5s, before brake consideration obliged Brawn to tell their drivers to back off. Button did, Barrichello didn’t, but the Englishman had enough in hand by the flag and extended his world championship lead by a point as Brawn moved further ahead of Red Bull.

BMW Sauber
Robert Kubica, P8
Nick Heidfeld, Retired lap 20, hit by Sutil
Heidfeld’s race was compromised long before the start when his F1.09 was found to be fractionally underweight. Since they were obliged to start from the pit lane the team opted to change the engine and gearbox, but after an early charge he was the innocent victim when Sutil’s attempt to pass Alguersuari prompted a spin and the Force India driver collected the German’s car. Heidfeld was not amused. Kubica, meanwhile, was always in the fight for a point, even though he lucked out by refuelling just before the safety car. But he also suffered a lot of rear tyre degradation with the untried new rear-end set-up which made the final 10-15 laps of each stint painfully slow. The Pole said afterwards that it was hardest point he ever earned.

Williams
Kazuki Nakajima, P9
Nico Rosberg, P11
Oh dear, oh dear! Williams came so near, yet ended up so far after Rosberg slid over the white line on the exit to the pits after his first refuelling stop on the 18th lap. Prior to that he had been keeping Hamilton honest, maintaining hopes that Williams might just be on the cusp of possible victory. That earned him a drive-through, and that was all she wrote. Nakajima pushed Kubica hard for the final point at the end, but was also having to fend off a hungry Raikkonen, so a day that promised much ended in huge disappointment.

Ferrari
Kimi Raikkonen, P10
Giancarlo Fisichella, P13
The lack of ongoing development of Ferrari’s elegant F60 becomes more apparent with each race, and both Raikkonen and Fisichella struggled all weekend here. The Finn reported that he was sliding all over the place on the softer rubber in his final stint. The Italian looked hopeless as he fumbled round at the back, the Ferrari dream turning more to nightmare.

Force India
Tonio Liuzzi, P14
Adrian Sutil, Retired lap 23, accident damage and brake problems
Sutil became very frustrated when he was trapped behind Alguersuari and it was only a matter of time before it ended in tears. On the 20th lap he snagged the right rear of the Toro Rosso, spun, and collected an angry Heidfeld. Subsequently, after a stop for repairs, he retired with brake problems. Liuzzi almost made it past the Fisichella road block, but had to back off when the older Italian moved over and they touched. He was way quicker than the Ferrari in his first two stints, but in the third on the supersoft Bridgestone he suffered graining rears and lost any chance of maintaining his challenge.

Toro Rosso
Sebastien Buemi, P16, not classified
Jaime Alguersuari, P15, not classified
Buemi ran quite strongly until tyre degradation reared its ugly head. Later, in his second pit stop he did not get any fuel, necessitating a third stop until a gearbox problem brought him to a halt in the pits just as Alguersuari was also calling it a day. The Spaniard had headed the tail-end train until he was assaulted by Sutil, and later stopped with brake issues.

source (http://formula1.com)