Singapore Grand Prix: Little-known Background and History

All those who are super-excited to be a live spectator of the upcoming Singapore Grand Prix race would love to explore some little-known facts about the race, its background and history. If you are one of the ardent fans of Formula One and dying to get hold of lucrative Singapore Grand Prix Packages, here is a piece of important information about the event. 

Background of the Race:

Singapore Grand Prix is one of the most popular motor races forming a part of FIA Formula One World Championship. The event takes place on the Marina Bay Street Circuit which is designed primarily for the Formula One races only.  The event will be there on the F1 calendar till 2021 because the race organizers have signed a contract extension with the top management in 2017. The last contract was signed in the year 2012 and lasted in 2017. 

The event under the artificial lights begins at mid-day GMT (8 pm local time). This is the standard time for European GP and moderates the extremely high daytime temperature in the tropical climate. 

History of the Event:

Organized in the year 1961 for the first time and was referred as “Orient Year Grand Prix,” the race won much fanfare. In the consecutive year, it was renamed as Malaysian Grand Prix. When Singapore gained its independence in the year 1965, the event was held at the Thomson Road and was renamed as Singapore Grand Prix. 

The event was discontinued in the year 1973 and the reasons cited for that was a high danger and unsuitability of racing track and following the fatal accidents during 1972 and 1973 the road for the event was closed. 

What Came Next? When did the event re-start?

In the year 2008, an agreement for a 5-year deal was signed by the Singapore GP Pvt. Ltd, Bernie Ecclestone and Singapore Tourism Board. In the year 2007 a telecomm company known as Singtel organized the event and it became Formula 1 Sing Tel Singapore Grand Prix. That year the race attracts much fan –fare and about 110,000 tickets were sold. Corporate hospitality packages and suites went on sale in 2008. A month-later, single day passes also went on sale and the race achieved the full sell-out of the tickets. 

2008 Singapore Grand Prix:

The first race of this event was held on the Marina Bay Street Circuit. It was the 15^th round of 2008 Formula 1 World Championship. This was the first night time event in the history of Formula 1. The time was suitable to broadcast it live on a convenient time for the European TV audiences. The entire track was lightened by a series off projectors. Felipe Massa was the first man to sit on the Singapore pole on his Ferrari and race was won by Fernando Alonso who drove for the Renault team. However the result was controversial till date.

2009 Singapore Grand Prix:

In the year 2009, the circuit was slightly modified. Modifications to the turns 1, 2 and 3 were made to facilitate overtaking and also at the turn 10 for facilitating the high kerbs that resulted many accidents in 2008. McLaren’s was the latest World Champion and Lewis Hamilton took the pole position. Mc. Laren’s was the latest Champion. Lewis Hamilton finished off the pole position and won. Timo Glock finished the second for Toyota. The fastest lap was completed by Fernando Alonso. 

2010 Singapore Grand Prix:

The race was regarded as one of the greatest of all times and the most thrilling title battles and Fernando Alonso made the record of being the first to win Singapore GP twice. That was the time when a former Ferrari Champion Michael Schumacher‘s Mercedes had an incident and finished off with the 13^th position. Over and all, Fernando Alonso was hero, a race winner and finished off with the fastest lap.

2011 Singapore Grand Prix:

Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) was the race winner and started with a pole position also. The German was more than 100 points clear of the field. He shrugged off the safety cars and the next placed Jenson Button (McLaren) to win the race. It was the first tile win for the Vettel and Button completed the fastest lap.

2012 Singapore Grand Prix:

A contract was signed with an agreement between Singapore Grand Prix and Bernie Ecclestone and both of them agreed that the event would remain on the Formula 1 calendar till 2017. Lewis Hamilton proved to be the hero of this GP session. He claimed his 5^th pole of the season for the McLaren in Singapore. It was the Red Bull drove by Sebastian Vettel that won the race. The fastest lap was finished off by Nico Hulkenberg and the pole position was completed by Lewis Hamilton. 

2013 Singapore Grand Prix:

In 2013, the reconfiguration of the 10th turn of the track known as “Singapore Sling was announced. Again, Sebastian Vettel stole the show with a hat-trick of his 3^rd consecutive win in the Singapore GP and the 33^rd victory of his career.  Not only Vettel won the race but he finished off with the fastest lap and the pole position also. 

2014 Singapore Grand Prix:

Singapore Airlines sponsored the event which was held on 15^th April 2014 and after that Singapore Airlines became the official sponsor. Formula one new generation hybrid powdered cars were seen on the track but the event was marked by the controversial ban on the radio-communication during the pre-race. Lewis Hamilton had his seventh win of the year and finished off with the fastest lap and pole position also. Sebastian Vettel along with his new partner Daniel Riccardo finished off with the second. 

2015 Singapore Grand Prix:

Again Sebastian Vettel chose Singapore as the venue for his 1^st Ferrari pole and made about 4 wins at the Marina Bay. The event was marked with a crazy accident of spectator entering straight on track. The fastest lap was completed by Daniel Ricciardo and the race winner was Sebastian Vettel who finished off with the pole position also.

2016 Singapore Grand Prix:

Nico Rosenberg (Mercedes) had not visited the Marina Circuit ever since 2008 so his 200^th Grand Prix seemed just an ideal moment to put things on the right track because the German was locked in a tussle with the Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton. A stunning run to the pole position was laid the perfect foundation and along with the race the one who finished off with the pole position was Nico Roseberg.

2017 Singapore Grand Prix:

On 19^th June 2017, a provisional 2018 calendar was released by the FIA’s World Sport Council in Geneva where the tentative date of the event was decided as 16^th September. In the same year, F1 announced an extension of the race through 2021. Sebastian Vettel was involved in a 1^st corner collision with Kimi Raikkonen who is his Ferrari teammate. Pole position was won by the Vettel and Lewis Hamilton was the race winner. 

2018 Singapore Grand Prix:

A stunning lap by Lewis Hamilton in the qualifying round had out him on the pole just ahead of the Max Verstappen and Vettel.  Hamilton became the eventual winner of the race. However the fastest lap was completed by Kevin Magnussen.  The track has seen some minor changes but the layout is roughly the same.

2019: Beginning on 20^th September, Friday

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