Times of the Singapore GP 2022
What time does qualifying for the Singapore GP 2022 start?
Qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix begins at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1. The question is not if, but when Max Verstappen will prolong his world title, but more on that later. Next weekend he will defend a lead of no less than 116 World Cup points over Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc. Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez is right behind with 125 points behind. In the Constructors’ World Championship, Red Bull Racing leads with 545 points, followed by Ferrari (406 points) and Mercedes (371 points).
Times of the Singapore GP 2022
Check out the times of the Singapore GP 2022 in the schedule below.
| Date | Session | Dutch time |
| Friday, September 30 | 1st free practice | 12.00 – 13.00 |
| Friday, September 30 | 2nd free practice | 15.00 – 16.00 |
| Saturday, October 1 | 3rd free practice | 12.00 – 13.00 |
| Saturday, October 1 | Qualification | 15.00 – 16.00 |
| Sunday, October 2 | Race | 14.00 – 16.00 |
What happened last time in Singapore?
Sebastian Vettel grabbed the lead at the previous 2019 Formula One race. Thanks to strategically smart pit stops, he beat his teammate Charles Leclerc, who had started from pole position. After a quiet opening phase, the two Ferraris made their pit stops first. Max Verstappen followed from fifth position, at that time still behind the two Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas. When those made their pit stops, however, she came back onto the track behind Verstappen. Alfa Romeo driver Antonio Giovinazzi experienced his finest hour in Formula One during this race. Stopping extremely late, the Italian was leading the race for several laps. In the end, he crossed the line in tenth place.
His early pit stop put the third-starting Vettel not only ahead of Hamilton, but even right in front of teammate Leclerc. The driver from Monaco showed over the board radio – “how is this possible!?” – clearly expressed his frustration. Thus, in Singapore, Vettel ended 392 days without a Grand Prix victory. Behind the two Ferraris, Verstappen managed to keep Hamilton and Bottas off the podium. In the wake of the summit, Red Bull teammate Alexander Albon drove to sixth place.
Again De Vries in Singapore?
Last week, a new appearance by substitute driver Nyck de Vries was anticipated. The Dutchman replaced Williams driver Alexander Albon recently at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. Albon had to be absent due to surgery on his appendix. De Vries made an impressive debut, became driver of the day and even picked up two World Cup points with his ninth-place finish. Leading up to the Singapore race, the question was whether Albon would be sufficiently recovered for the physically demanding race on Singapore’s street circuit. The Thai-British driver appears to be able to start in Singapore as normal after all.
READ ALSO: Who is Nyck de Vries? – AutoRAI.co.uk
The McLaren team will drive the Grand Prix’ of Singapore and Japan with a special livery. The livery of the MCL36 swaps the blue accents for a bit more pink. The British team itself calls the color scheme Future Mode. The racing overalls of drivers Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo also came in the same colors.
Soft Pirelli’s
For the first time, drivers will drive the new Formula One cars in Singapore. These are not only larger and heavier than previous seasons, but also ride on larger 18-inch rims. Especially on a bumpy street circuit with many slow corners, understeer is lurking.
Pirelli is bringing tires with the softest compound for the Singapore Grand Prix. The C3 is the hard tire, C4 as mediums and the softest C5 as the fastest compound. Which drivers find the right balance in the car? And which drivers can best control tire wear during the race?
READ ALSO: Official 2023 Formula One calendar features a whopping 24 races!
When will Max take the title?
With a street-length lead over Charles Leclerc, no one doubts it anymore: Max Verstappen will prolong his title this year. But can he manage that as early as Singapore? To do this, the following must be done:
- Will Verstappen win AND take the extra World Cup point for the fastest race lap? Then he will be world champion if Leclerc finishes in spot eight or lower and Perez finishes no better than fourth.
- Does Verstappen win, but not take the extra World Cup point for fastest race lap? Then he will prolong the title only if Leclerc does not finish higher than place nine. Perez should then finish fourth at most, without taking the extra World Cup point for fastest race lap.
Is this not happening? Then the drivers’ title fight will be decided at the Japan Grand Prix at the earliest. That one will be run a week later (on Sunday, Oct. 9) at the Suzuka Circuit.
What do you need to know about Singapore?
The Singapore Grand Prix has been on the Formula One calendar since 2008. The Marina Bay street circuit made an immediate impression: its impressive skyline full of modern skyscrapers provides a spectacular backdrop. It was immediately clear: this race is a remarkable addition to the calendar. Also special: turn 18, where the drivers tear through under the grandstands.
The 2008 race was a first with a Dutch touch: it was the first evening race in Formula One to be run under artificial lights. For that, Philips’ 1,500 light sources provide excellent visibility for the drivers on the bumpy street circuit. At 3,000 lux, these lights provide four times as much light as the light poles around a soccer stadium.
Singapore: a real war of attrition
Challenging, but also physically demanding. For the drivers, the race on the street circuit is a real war of attrition. Go figure: a moderate average speed means the Grand Prix is relatively long over 300 kilometers. On top of that, riders will have to deal with high humidity, high temperatures, the artificial light, bumpy braking zones and as many as 23 corners. The average Formula One driver loses as much as three pounds of body weight during the race.
The weather forecast for the upcoming race weekend? It will be warm and changeable, with significant chances of rain and thunderstorms. Temperatures of about 30 degrees Celsius are expected at the start of the race on Sunday night (local time).
Singapore in facts and figures:
Official name: Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix 2022
Location: Singapore
Circuit length: 5.063 km
Number of laps: 61
Number of bends: 23
Total race distance: 308.706 km
Lap record: 1:41:905 Kevin Magnussen (2018)
