Singapore- A pioneer that has changed F1
When Formula One rolled up in Marina Bay in 2008, few could imagine how that famous weekend would change the sport for good and start a new era.
The first ever night race was a spectacular event. Sport is said to be a better experience at night, as the artificial light theatrically illuminates every inch and detail.
There is something fresh and exciting about it. And Formula One turned glitz and glamour into an extravagant night-time party.
The atmosphere was more electric, and the racing appeared more dramatic. Formula One comes alive at night. Something stirs inside the drivers. The racing never comes across as dull.
Take the 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix. An event that is regularly criticised for being tedious, produced arguably the best race of the season after the sun went down.
Bahrain joined Singapore and Abu Dhabi as night races. As the calendar expands so does the potential for nocturnal racing. We, the fans, want more and that is very important.
A backdrop of city skyscrapers is in vogue in Formula One, and it stems from the spectacular Marina Bay setting.
The 5km circuit isn't just aesthetically pleasing, it’s a unique challenge which Lewis Hamilton once described as “twice as hard as Monaco”. In an age where modern circuits are boring, repetitive and simple to drive; Singapore has produced a track which challenges everyone.
For a street circuit, it is very wide but it has the bumpy and twisty features which are essential. Overtaking is possible but difficult.
Only the bravest and the best can make moves stick. Unlike the procession at Monaco, Singapore offers the potential of high-energy thrilling races.
Sebastian Vettel is the king of the bay, having won three years in a row. Singapore has often been the first of a series of races that favour the German, but he might find that harder now that the rules have changed and Red Bull are no longer dominant.
Sebastian Vettel wins 2012 Singapore F1 GP
In 2010, a gripping race saw Vettel chase Fernando Alonso all night, only to just fall short.
That encouraging race gave Vettel the confidence he needed to go on and win his first of four straight championships.
But Singapore has been the scene of negativity too. In the country’s first race, Renault fixed the event so that Fernando Alonso could win.
The Spaniard was unaware that his team-mate, Nelson Piquet Jnr, deliberately crashed so that a safety car would favour Alonso, who would go and win the race.
Alonso is, along with Vettel and Hamilton, one of just three drivers who have won around the twisty track. Although that could expand now that the new rules are in place.
The Singapore Grand Prix is a key fixture on the calendar, and will remain until at least 2017. However, the legacy is has created will remain for much longer.
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