F1 | Megaride Simulation: Good Traction Matters in Singapore

After the Azerbaijan GP last Sunday, F1 is back on track at Marina Bay for the Singapore GP, thus starting the final extra-European tour. Unlike what was expected, this season finale presents itself with a championship still wide open and with McLaren having become the new leader of the Constructors’ championship.

The Singapore GP went down in history as the first to host a night race, a feature that has now been extended to other events in the world championship. The circuit, created with the intent of emulating the historic Monaco GP, has a tight and twisty layout with 19 corners, many at 90 degrees that require heavy braking and great traction. The climate, characterized by high temperatures and humidity, makes the work of the car and the drivers extremely tough.

• As can be seen from the temperature graph, the tyres are stressed throughout the entire lap due to the tortuosity of the track, especially longitudinally, given the sharp braking and violent acceleration required. The most stressed tyres are those on the right and the most critical corners are turns 7-9, turns 10-13 and turns 17-19.
• For this weekend, Pirelli has chosen the softest range of compounds available: C3, C4 and C5. The absence of high lateral loads, together with the expected low level of grip and expected average wear, justify this decision.
• As already seen in Baku, here too the evolution of grip during the weekend will be significant: low at the beginning of the weekend and gradually increasing.

Megaride Chart, Singapore GP

Photo by: MegaRide

The expected wear on this track is medium-low, as can be easily understood from the graph. The rears are the ones most stressed due to the sudden braking and the high traction required by the circuit.

The tortuosity of the track and the environmental conditions make this GP the most tiring for cars and drivers. The narrow layout can facilitate the entry of the safety car and therefore upset the strategies in the pits which will be, therefore, fundamental also due to the difficulty of overtaking on the track.