SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX PREVIEW

Wednesday 24th September 2008

F1 makes history in Singapore with its fifth Asian GP and its first ever night race. With predictions of a wet weekend it could be another show-stopper.

To call the Singapore Grand Prix a leap in the dark is probably not true. Because according to the drivers who have walked the track under the newly installed lights, visibility under the system is pretty damned good.

From a safety angle it's great news that F1's first ever night race won't be compromised by the quality of the lighting. But as we saw at Valencia, F1's other brand new circuit, organisers can iron out so many of the anomalies that we're left with a dull, charisma-less track.

Valencia was a desperate anti-climax, Singapore is unlikely to be because of the sheer novelty, but it won't be Monaco at night. Now that would be a scary thought.

With rain predicted for the GP weekend drivers will have to learn the track in what are likely to be less than ideal conditions. No-one will want to stuff their cars into the barriers early during the practice sessions because that will greatly steepen what will be a big learning curve.

Lewis Hamilton versus Felipe Massa is the main item on the agenda with Massa finding a lot more grip in the wet at Monza and a lot more confidence in his F2008 than was evident at Silverstone. In Italy we didn't have monsoon-like conditions though, which is what can happen at the new Marina circuit.

Should the skies open it will definitely favour Hamilton, but it's also good news for the very stealthy Robert Kubica, who's closing in on them both in the Championship. Should Massa and Hamilton fail to finish, then Kubica could almost be on terms with them should he win. And like Lewis, Robert is no slouch in the wet.

Hopefully the conditions won't deter the top three from racing. Irrespective of what side of the Hamilton/Spa argument you're on, the result of the stewards' action in that race is now a hindrance to racing. Why should drivers take a risk if they're going to be severely penalised for trying a move?

We saw this at Monza where Felipe Massa handed back what seemed like a perfectly legitimate pass on Nico Rosberg because he used a lot of the kerb at the second chicane. If that was wrong, then his cheeky little move at the Montreal chicane in the Canadian GP (overtaking two cars at once) was equally suspect. It seemed fine, but now teams are getting nervous and don't want to take the risk.

Sebastian Vettel's confidence will be soaring after the performance of his career in the Italian GP. He could just as easily get on the podium in Singapore if we get a repeat of the wet conditions. And if so, then Sebastien Bourdais will really need to take his opportunity having lost out on the final lap at Spa and by having a gear selection issue at Monza.

Despite confident predictions that the Safety Car would be called into action in Valencia, in Spa and again in Monza, Bernd Maylander has done little more than lead off a race and cruise back to the pits. Surely the laws of probability say he's going to do a bit more in Singapore than shop for cheap electronic goods.

It was dry and grippy in Valencia and the wide track allowed mistakes to go unpunished. Singapore also has the width available, but the grip won't be there if it's wet and given the quickness of the track, the potential for a high-energy accident and a carbon fibre shower are

Apart from the Massa v Hamilton and Ferrari v McLaren head to head, there's the Toyota v Renault joust for who comes fourth in the Constructors' Championship.

Given the near parity of the machinery now, Fernando Alonso's vastly superior racecraft is the big difference between the two teams.

Nelsinho has a final few chances to impress before the Renault exit door gapes open. Given Lucas diGrassi's impressive times in Jerez testing and his status as 'the man most likely to' from GP2, Flav should surely give him a shot at a head-to-head for the race seat in 2009.

Over at Red Bull they have to shrug off the post-Monza depression (or should that be elation) of seeing their motorhome-mates clinking off with some chunky silverware. If anybody is due a big result in difficult conditions it's Mark Webber. DC also needs to restore a little pride as his career ends ( and let's not forget he's still the fourth highest F1 points scorer of all time - and just three ahead of Rubens Barrichello).

Mark and Nick Heidfeld share the dubious honour of being the two most experienced F1 pilots yet to score a GP win. Sebastian Vettel's success means that there are now more GP drivers on the grid with at least one win to their name than without. If the weather can mix it up this weekend then at least it could do us the favour of a Red Bull or BMW victory. And you know, Heidfeld was within half a lap of pulling it off at Spa.

Source : Planet F1