What is the F1 Singapore Grand Prix? What you need to know

The F1 Singapore Grand Prix is taking place in Singapore from October 9 to 11, with Sunday’s race serving as the main event of the weekend.

The Singapore Grand Prix is part of the Formula One World Championship, a motorsport series featuring open-wheel, single-seater racing cars and sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), or the International Automobile Federation.

Grand Prix races are held in different countries across continents. Points earned throughout the season determine the world champions in the drivers’ and constructors’ championships.

Why is the Singapore GP different from other GPs?

According to the F1 website, Singapore hosted the first F1 night race in 2008 at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. The circuit is known for its slow corners, bumpy surface, and hot cockpit conditions.

“That low speed is where the work lies. The 19 corners arrive in quick succession over a bumpy surface, bringing repeated spikes of braking g-force and little chance to rest, while the car needs rear grip and traction out of the slow turns without overheating its rear tyres. Cockpit temperatures rise, and a driver can lose as much as 3kg in body weight over a race,” the F1 website said.

“The floodlights and the skyline give the race its look, but the result is settled on track. Over 62 laps a driver takes more than 1,100 corners, and the race rewards whoever can hold their concentration from the first to the last.”

Why is Ferdinand Marcos Jr. attending?

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will attend the race, describing his presence in Singapore as a “happy coincidence” because he is also in the city-state for a working visit.

“Yes, happy coincidence. All of these, the Forbes CEO, all of these meetings that I’m having happened… because what's happened with the Singapore F1, it's become such an event that all these other events are scheduled around it because so many people come.”

“I once came before I was president a long time ago, and I came to watch just to watch the race… And I was walking around, I met Lee Kuan Yew,” Marcos said.

“And I came to the conclusion: you come to the Singapore F1, you can meet anybody, everyone that you want. Even some of the businessmen from the Philippines, I had meetings with them because they were there for the F1,” he added.

Marcos said attending the race could also open the door to conversations with people in ways that might not happen in more formal settings.

“It's not the same as when you sit down over coffee, and you say, okay, okay, we'll continue this. So in the future, when you talk about it, the person you're talking to knows already what you're talking about, has an idea of what,” Marcos said.

“And we all know, especially for Asians, the face-to-face meeting is the most important part of any relationship, be it a be it a familial relationship, a business relationship, a political relation, any kind of relationship,” he added.

Verstappen wins sprint

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won Saturday’s sprint race in Singapore, marking his first sprint victory at the circuit.

Verstappen clocked 1:31.373, finishing ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc (1:31.427) and Lewis Hamilton (1:31.496).

—Justin Kenneth Carandang/JMB, GMA News