Formula 1 headed to the iconic Marina Bay Street Circuit for the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, the original night race and one of the most demanding tracks on the calendar. Known for its intense heat and gruelling length, often pushing the two-hour limit, the Singapore GP tests both drivers and machines to their limits. After a thrilling race in Azerbaijan, the drama continued with Singapore capping this back-to-back set of races. With McLaren now leading the Constructors’ Championship following standout performances, the stage was set for another thrilling chapter in the 2024 season.
Race Guide
Race weekend: 20 September 2024 – 22 September 2024
Race date: Sunday, 22 September, 2024
Race start time: 20:00 local time
Circuit: Marina Bay Street Circuit
Laps: 62
Circuit length: 4.94km
2023 winner: Carlos Sainz
| Pole position | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Driver | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | |
| Time | 1:29.525 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver | Daniel Ricciardo | RB Honda RBPT | |
| Time | 1:34.486 on lap 60 | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | |
| Second | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | |
| Third | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | |
At the Marina Bay Circuit, it’s common to see a train of cars running nose to tail. Overtaking is difficult due to a lack of significant performance difference despite the track having three DRS zones. To encourage more on-track action for the 2024 race, the FIA introduced a fourth DRS zone between turns 14 and 16, and teams, drivers, and fans would have to wait until Sunday to see if it had the desired effect.
Adding to the unpredictability of this race is the weather. Located on the Equator, Singapore’s climate is consistently humid, rarely dropping below 70%, with the possibility of heavy rain showers at any time, day or night.
With night races a common sight in current Formula 1, it’s always good to remember that this was the first Grand Prix ever run at night under floodlights, and visually, it has always delivered a spectacular show. As is typical on a narrow street circuit, qualifying is often the most critical factor in determining the race result, with nine of the 14 races held to date being won from pole position. The King of Singapore, before the 2024 race weekend, was Sebastian Vettel, who won here five times, four from pole, and achieved eight podium finishes before retiring in 2022. That left Lewis Hamilton, as of 2024, and with another two years at Ferrari from 2025, poised to challenge his crown before his retirement whenever that may come, having secured the same number of poles and four wins while also close to matching Vettel’s record for top-three finishes, with seven to his name.
Three other 2024 drivers had also won at Marina Bay: Fernando Alonso twice, and Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez with one victory apiece. Another retiree, Nico Rosberg, also claimed one win here.
Weekend schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 20 September 2024 | Free Practice 1 (FP1) | 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm local time |
| 20 September 2024 | Free Practice 2 (FP2) | 9:00 pm – 10:00 pm local time |
| 21 September 2024 | Free Practice 3 (FP3) | 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm local time |
| 21 September 2024 | Qualifying | 9:00 pm – 10:00 pm local time |
| 22 September 2024 | Race | 8:00 pm local time |
In Saturday evening qualifying, Lando Norris secured pole position ahead of championship leader Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton in a dramatic Singapore Grand Prix qualifying session. Norris outpaced Verstappen by 0.203s in a Q3 session that boiled down to a single lap after Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz crashed at the final corner, causing a red flag. The McLaren driver was already on course for pole before the interruption but delivered a stellar final lap to seal the top spot. Hamilton, who struggled during practice, managed to edge out teammate George Russell for third, positioning Mercedes to challenge the title contenders.
On Sunday, Lando Norris kept his championship hopes alive with a commanding victory for McLaren at the Singapore Grand Prix. The Briton showcased impressive pace, leading from start to finish under the street circuit’s lights. However, Drivers’ Championship leader Max Verstappen minimised the damage by securing second place for Red Bull. McLaren’s dominance was further highlighted by Oscar Piastri, who climbed from fifth on the grid to third, overtaking both Mercedes drivers, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. This result extended McLaren’s Constructors’ Championship lead over Red Bull to 41 points. Norris finished 20 seconds ahead of Verstappen, cutting the Dutchman’s championship lead to 52 points with six rounds left in the season.
Championship background
A thrilling weekend in Baku in the previous round, saw Lando Norris bounce back from a surprising Q1 exit to outperform title rival Max Verstappen, closing the gap to 59 points with seven Grand Prix and three Sprints to go.
Oscar Piastri claimed a stunning victory in Azerbaijan, finishing ahead of Charles Leclerc, and propelling McLaren to the top of the 2024 Constructors’ Championship, with season-opening favourites Red Bull trailing by 20 points. The last time McLaren stood at the top was in 2014.
Coming into 2024, all eyes were on whether Red Bull would face challenges in Singapore, as the previous year’s race was the only one they failed to win during their dominant 2023 campaign. Carlos Sainz, who won the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix, would be eager to recover from his late-race collision with Sergio Perez in Baku.
Lewis Hamilton delivered one of his best pole laps at the Marina Bay Circuit in 2018, but in 2024, up until this race, he struggled in qualifying compared to his teammate George Russell. Mercedes hoped to be more competitive this weekend, setting the stage for another multi-team battle of Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull at the front on a circuit where qualifying is crucial.
Race entries
After Kevin Magnussen‘s one-race ban for the Azerbaijan GP, he made his return to Haas to close out the final races in what was likely to be his last F1 season. In the previous race, his replacement, Ollie Bearman, set a new F1 driver record, becoming the first driver to score points for two different Constructors in his first two starts in F1.
Aside from Franco Colapinto, who was now driving for Williams after replacing Logan Sargeant in Round 16, all the drivers from the start of the season took to the track during FP1, FP2, FP3, Qualifying, and the Grand Prix.
Tyre choices
Here on the Equator, the dry weather tyre compounds were the same as in 2023 and, in fact, the same as the previous two rounds of the 2024 season at Monza and Baku, despite the tracks having very different characteristics: C3 as Hard (marked white), C4 as Medium (marked yellow), and C5 as Soft (marked red). In 2023, the C5 (soft) tyre played a role on race day, particularly in the first stint, as drivers looked to capitalise on its additional grip at the start. Degradation at this circuit is mainly caused by thermal stress, affecting the tyre’s core rather than the surface, which is less common and varies depending on car set-up and aerodynamic load.
The circuit was modified in 2023 to improve its flow but remained one of the twistiest on the calendar. Its length was reduced to 4.940 kilometres, increasing the number of laps to 62. In the final sector, a 400-metre straight replaced the section that previously included turns 16 to 19, reducing the number of corners from 23 to 19. The 2023 race also saw the start of a resurfacing programme to the track, and in 2024, the sections between turns 3 and 9, 10 and 12, and 14 and 17 were also resurfaced.
As with all street circuits, mistakes in Singapore come at a high price, with very few run-off areas, and even a small error can send you into the barriers. As a result, the Safety Car is a frequent sight here, especially as it can take a while to clear a car from the track. Two factors make a one-stop strategy the most viable: firstly, the time lost for a pit stop is around 28 seconds, partly due to the reduced pit lane speed limit of 60 km/h, and secondly, overtaking on this circuit is notoriously difficult. A two-stop strategy is generally considered if the race is neutralised.
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Free Practice
In FP1, Charles Leclerc narrowly outpaced Lando Norris at the top of the timesheets, as the challengers to Max Verstappen made another strong start in the opening practice for the Singapore Grand Prix. Following their first and second-place finishes in a closely contested race on the streets of Baku just five days before, Red Bull’s in-form rivals once again occupied the same positions at the end of the first session in Singapore. This time, Ferrari led McLaren, with Leclerc posting the fastest lap of 1:31.763. Norris had dominated much of the late-afternoon session, but Leclerc edged past the Briton during the soft tyre runs, setting the pace by a slim margin of 0.076 seconds.
During FP2, Lando Norris led a crucial second practice session, narrowly beating Charles Leclerc, while title rival Max Verstappen struggled down in 15th place. This second practice session is particularly significant in Singapore, as it takes place under the same floodlit, night-time conditions as Saturday’s qualifying and Sunday’s race. Norris and Leclerc stood out, appearing in a class of their own. Carlos Sainz, in the second Ferrari, was six tenths behind in third, while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri trailed by another tenth in fifth.
On Saturday, Lando Norris set a blistering pace ahead of a crucial qualifying session, dominating the final practice timesheet at Marina Bay as his title rivals struggled. After narrowly edging out Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc on Friday, Norris was in a class of his own during Saturday’s soft-tyre runs in the last daytime session of the weekend. He topped the charts with a time of 1:29.646, almost half a second clear of his nearest competitor, George Russell. The session was briefly halted by a red flag due to the appearance of another of Singapore’s famous lizards, but when action resumed, Norris remained the only driver to break the 90-second barrier. He finished with a 0.479s advantage over Russell’s Mercedes and a notable 0.785s gap over his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, last weekend’s Baku winner.
Full Free Practice Reports
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2024 Singapore GP FP1: Charles Leclerc ahead of Lando Norris
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2024 Singapore GP FP2: Norris and Leclerc set the pace again
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Free Practice 1 Classification
FP1 was held on 20 September 2024, at 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm local time.
Free Practice 2 Classification
FP2 was held on 20 September 2024, at 9:00 pm – 10:00 pm local time.
Free Practice 3 Classification
FP3 was held on 21 September 2024, at 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm local time.
Qualifying
Lando Norris secured pole position for the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix after edging out championship rival Max Verstappen in a dramatic Saturday night qualifying session at Marina Bay, which saw Carlos Sainz crash at the start of Q3.
Norris set a stunning lap time of 1m 29.525s in what became a one-lap showdown due to Sainz’s incident. He finished a couple of tenths ahead of Verstappen’s Red Bull, with the Mercedes duo close behind.
Full Qualifying Report
Qualifying Classification
Qualifying was held on 21 September 2024, at 9:00 pm – 10:00 pm local time.
2024 Singapore Grand Prix Starting Grid
The Grand Prix starting grid, with or without penalties, after the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix Qualifying session.
What happened in the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix?
After Norris narrowly beat Verstappen to pole position in a thrilling qualifying session, attention turned to race day and the gruelling 62 laps of the Marina Bay Street Circuit. The track had maintained a 100% Safety Car record since its debut on the calendar in 2008, raising the prospect of further drama.
Several drivers were eager to capitalise on any incidents, including Piastri, who couldn’t match Norris’ one-lap pace and had to settle for P5 on the grid, and Ferrari’s Sainz and Leclerc, who both faced setbacks in Q3 – a crash for Sainz and a deleted lap time for Leclerc.
Aston Martin experienced pre-race tension as Stroll reported “a lot of vibration when I brake” during his lap to the grid. His mechanics rushed to make last-minute repairs before the race began.
When tyre blankets came off, most of the field had opted for medium compounds for what was expected to be a one-stop strategy. However, Hamilton and Ricciardo started on softs, while Magnussen, Stroll, Bottas, and Zhou chose hard tyres.
As the five red lights went out, Norris maintained his lead into the first corner, while Verstappen held off a brief challenge from Hamilton. Behind them, Piastri’s attempt to pass Russell at Turn 1 allowed Hulkenberg to slip into fifth, but Piastri reclaimed the position at Turn 7.
Alonso ran in seventh, followed by Leclerc, Colapinto, and Perez, who made strong starts to hold the final top 10 spots. Tsunoda and Sainz dropped to 11th and 12th, while Albon fell to 15th after contact with his rookie teammate at Turn 1 forced him wide.
“Russell needs to pick up the pace,” came a radio message from Hamilton after a few laps, as Norris and Verstappen pulled away at the front. Crucially, Norris kept Verstappen out of DRS range, avoiding immediate pressure through the four DRS zones.
When asked for an update on his pace, Norris calmly responded that he was running at “six” on the pace scale. His engineer requested he increase the gap to five seconds, and almost on cue, Norris upped his pace by a second.
As Norris extended his lead to five seconds, Ricciardo became the first to pit on Lap 11, switching from softs to mediums. Albon followed a lap later, moving from mediums to hards after his difficult start.
Sainz was the next to pit on Lap 14, rejoining in 18th, just ahead of the early-stopping Albon. McLaren advised Norris about the strength of the undercut, estimating a two-second advantage, to which Norris simply replied, “confirm.”
Meanwhile, Perez praised Colapinto’s impressive driving, labelling him “very good” as the Argentinian proved difficult to overtake. However, disaster struck for Williams when Albon’s car began to overheat, forcing his retirement from the race.
By Lap 18, Norris had built a commanding 13-second lead, comfortably ahead as the first round of pit stops loomed. Mercedes opted to pit Hamilton, switching him from softs to hards.
At one-third distance, McLaren told Norris to “go as long as possible.” By now, Verstappen trailed him by 16 seconds, with Russell a further 12 seconds back in third. Piastri, Hulkenberg, Alonso, and Leclerc battled for positions from fourth to seventh.
Colapinto, Perez, and Tsunoda fought to stay close to the group, while a frustrated Hamilton expressed concerns that his early pit stop would make it difficult to manage the hard tyres to the end of the race.
Having been stuck behind Alonso for several laps, Leclerc finally found a way past on Lap 26, just as the Aston Martin pitted for fresh hard tyres. A few seconds later, Hamilton’s race took another turn for the worse. “Something is wrong with the car, mate,” he reported to his engineer after a failed attempt to pass Tsunoda.
Russell pitted from third a couple of laps later, releasing Piastri into clean air, while Verstappen voiced concerns about his rear tyres as he dropped 25 seconds behind race leader Norris.
As the midfield runners began to pit, Leclerc made further progress by passing Hulkenberg’s Haas. Meanwhile, Norris radioed in, reporting potential front wing damage after locking up and glancing the wall at Turn 14.
Verstappen pitted from second to swap his medium tyres for hards, rejoining just behind the yet-to-stop Leclerc. He was initially frustrated, fearing Leclerc had undercut him, but quickly passed the Ferrari and carried on.
Norris responded by pitting the following lap, and McLaren decided against changing his front wing. “We see a small issue with the front wing – nothing serious,” his engineer reassured him as he continued his second stint.
The stewards reviewed an incident between Gasly and Hulkenberg at Turn 7 but took no further action. Leclerc, after fending off Russell, finally pitted for fresh tyres on Lap 37. Tsunoda and Gasly followed suit, leaving Piastri as the only driver yet to stop. The Australian and McLaren rectified that on Lap 39, switching to hard tyres and relinquishing a temporary second place behind Norris.
Following the pit stops, Norris led Verstappen by more than 20 seconds, with Russell a further 15 seconds back in third. Hamilton, in fourth, was soon overtaken by Piastri, who took advantage of his fresher tyres.
Sainz and Leclerc ran sixth and seventh, ahead of Alonso, Hulkenberg, and Perez. Colapinto had fallen out of the points into P11, followed by the RB pair of Ricciardo and Tsunoda – the latter requesting over the radio to be let through.
Both RB and Ferrari swapped positions between their drivers, promoting Leclerc to seventh and Tsunoda to 12th. “If you keep this pace, we should catch Hamilton at the end,” Leclerc’s engineer encouraged, as the Monegasque clocked fast sector times.
Further ahead, Piastri closed in on Russell and pulled off a bold move around the outside at Turn 7. However, challenging Verstappen for second seemed out of reach with an 18-second gap and only 16 laps remaining.
Despite his comfortable lead, Norris had another scare on Lap 45 when he brushed the wall at Turn 10 but escaped without damage. Meanwhile, Russell compared his cockpit to a “sauna,” and Perez complained his car was “bouncing like a kangaroo.”
Norris recovered from the minor error to set another fastest lap, stretching his lead to nearly half a minute over Verstappen. His engineer reminded him to stay focused and hydrate as he approached the final 10 laps.
Leclerc, maintaining his blistering pace, soon caught Hamilton and passed him for fifth on Lap 51 with little resistance. However, like Piastri, who couldn’t close the gap to Verstappen, Leclerc was unable to catch Russell in the closing stages.
Magnussen’s race took a turn for the worse when he clipped the wall in Sector 1, suffering a puncture and limping back to the pits for soft tyres. This threw a wrench into Norris’ plan to claim the fastest lap bonus. Though Magnussen briefly held the fastest lap, Norris reclaimed it by pushing again, only for Ricciardo to ultimately secure the fastest lap after a late stop.
Norris expertly managed the final few laps to take the chequered flag, adding to his victories in Miami and the Netherlands earlier in the season. He finished comfortably ahead of second-placed Verstappen, with Piastri completing the podium in third.
Leclerc pushed hard but couldn’t catch Russell, settling for fifth, while Hamilton and Sainz were the final drivers to finish on the lead lap. Alonso, Hulkenberg, and Perez rounded out the points-scoring positions.
Colapinto finished a solid 11th, continuing his strong start to his F1 career after replacing Logan Sargeant, followed by Tsunoda, Ocon, Stroll, the Alfa Romeo duo of Zhou and Bottas, Gasly, and Ricciardo as the final finisher.
Haas brought Magnussen back into the pits shortly after his tyre stop, while Albon reflected on what could have been following his early retirement due to an overheating issue caused by first-corner contact.
2024 Singapore Grand Prix race results
The 2024 Singapore Grand Prix Race was held on 22 September 2024, at 8:00 pm local time.
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 62 | 1:40:52.571 | 25 |
| 2 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 62 | +20.945s | 18 |
| 3 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 62 | +41.823s | 15 |
| 4 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 62 | +61.040s | 12 |
| 5 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 62 | +62.430s | 10 |
| 6 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 62 | +85.248s | 8 |
| 7 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 62 | +96.039s | 6 |
| 8 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 61 | +1 lap | 4 |
| 9 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas Ferrari | 61 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 10 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 61 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 11 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Williams Mercedes | 61 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 12 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB Honda RBPT | 61 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 13 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | 61 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 14 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 61 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 15 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 61 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 16 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 61 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 17 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 61 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 18 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo1 | RB Honda RBPT | 61 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 19 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari | 57 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 15 | DNF |
2024 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings
Championship standings for Drivers’ and Teams after the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix.
2024 Post-Race F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings
| Pos | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | NED | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 331 |
| 2 | Lando Norris | GBR | McLaren Mercedes | 279 |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | MON | Ferrari | 245 |
| 4 | Oscar Piastri | AUS | McLaren Mercedes | 237 |
| 5 | Carlos Sainz | ESP | Ferrari | 190 |
| 6 | Lewis Hamilton | GBR | Mercedes | 174 |
| 7 | George Russell | GBR | Mercedes | 155 |
| 8 | Sergio Pérez | MEX | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 144 |
| 9 | Fernando Alonso | ESP | Aston Martin Mercedes | 62 |
| 10 | Nico Hulkenberg | GER | Haas Ferrari | 24 |
| 11 | Lance Stroll | CAN | Aston Martin Mercedes | 24 |
| 12 | Yuki Tsunoda | JPN | RB-Honda RBPT | 22 |
| 13 | Alexander Albon | THA | Williams Mercedes | 12 |
| 14 | Daniel Ricciardo | AUS | RB-Honda RBPT | 12 |
| 15 | Pierre Gasly | FRA | Alpine Renault | 8 |
| 16 | Oliver Bearman | GBR | Ferrari / Haas Ferrari | 7 |
| 17 | Kevin Magnussen | DEN | Haas Ferrari | 6 |
| 18 | Esteban Ocon | FRA | Alpine Renault | 5 |
| 19 | Franco Colapinto | ARG | Williams Mercedes | 4 |
| 20 | Zhou Guanyu | CHN | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 0 |
| 21 | Logan Sargeant | USA | Williams Mercedes | 0 |
| 22 | Valtteri Bottas | FIN | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 0 |
2024 Post-Race F1 Constructors’ Championship Standings
| Pos | Team | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLaren Mercedes | 516 |
| 2 | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 475 |
| 3 | Ferrari | 441 |
| 4 | Mercedes | 329 |
| 5 | Aston Martin Mercedes | 86 |
| 6 | RB-Honda RBPT | 34 |
| 7 | Haas Ferrari | 31 |
| 8 | Williams Mercedes | 16 |
| 9 | Alpine Renault | 13 |
| 10 | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 0 |
Sources:
- A NEW FOURTH DRS ZONE IN SINGAPORE. Pirelli.com
- Singapore GP schedule: UK time, when to watch F1 weekend live on Sky Sports as 2024 season continues. Skysports.com
- Singapore GP: Charles Leclerc edges out Lando Norris to fastest time in Practice One at Marina Bay. Skysports.com
- Singapore GP: Lando Norris tops Practice Two from Charles Leclerc as Max Verstappen struggles to 15th. Skysports.com
- Singapore GP: Lando Norris in stunning final practice form for McLaren after lizard interruption. Skysports.com
- Singapore GP: Lando Norris takes pole from Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton in dramatic qualifying. Skysports.com
- Singapore GP: Lando Norris claims dominant win to reduce Max Verstappen’s world championship lead. Skysports.com
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