2010 Singapore Grand Prix

Championship standings

Webber leads the Drivers’ Championship with 187 points, ahead of Hamilton on 182 and Alonso on 166. Button is fourth with 165 and Vettel fifth on 163. All five drivers remain in contention for the title. Red Bull lead the Constructors’ Championship with 350 points; McLaren are second on 347 — within striking distance — and Ferrari third on 290.

Previous race

Alonso won at Monza for Ferrari’s first home victory since 2006, with Button less than three seconds behind at the flag. Hamilton was eliminated on the first lap in a contact incident with Massa; the crash ended his run at the top of the championship. Webber finished sixth, inheriting the championship lead. Vettel recovered from a phantom engine problem to finish fourth.

Between-race developments

Pedro de la Rosa has been dropped by Sauber and replaced by Nick Heidfeld, who last drove for the team in 2009. The change was made due to de la Rosa’s performance gap relative to Kobayashi and Heidfeld’s specific knowledge of the Marina Bay and Yas Marina circuits.

At Hispania, Sakon Yamamoto has been replaced for this race by the team’s reserve driver Christian Klien. The official reason is food poisoning, though several journalists observed Yamamoto in the Singapore paddock appearing to be in good health, prompting speculation about unpaid debts. A sponsor logo from one of Klien’s personal backers appeared on the Hispania car for the weekend. Team principal Colin Kolles confirmed Yamamoto would return for Suzuka.

Track changes

The circuit has been resurfaced between turns three and seven and from turns thirteen to seventeen after drivers complained about bumpiness following 2009. The Singapore Sling chicane has been adjusted for a more gradual curve and safer exit. The outer wall at turn 21 has been moved closer to the track to cover an exposed drain. The pit lane has been resurfaced. A new machine to clean the track surface has been introduced after a dusty, slippery track caused problems in 2009.

Hamilton — a vocal critic of the circuit — describes it as “dangerous” despite the modifications, calling the Singapore Sling “the worst corner I have ever driven in Formula One.”

Car upgrades

McLaren, Red Bull, and Williams all revise their front wings. McLaren’s revision splits airflow into two channels directing air around the outside of the front tyres. Red Bull’s revised design — tested in practice — features vertical slots at the rear of the endplate; the team reverts to the Silverstone design for qualifying and the race. Williams debuts its new wing design. Red Bull also introduces a revised diffuser to improve airflow management at the top of the diffuser’s side sections.

Practice

The first session began on a wet track after earlier rainstorms, with high humidity slowing the drying. Drivers used intermediates before switching to slicks in the closing minutes. Webber set the fastest time of 1:54.589, a tenth ahead of Schumacher. Sutil was third.

In the second session on a still-damp circuit, Vettel set the fastest time of 1:46.660 on super-softs. Webber was second. Button drove aggressively to challenge Vettel throughout before finishing third. Alonso ran wide at turn 17 on a quick lap, stalled while trying to rejoin, and was pushed off the circuit by marshals. Sutil’s Force India was launched into the air when he hit a kerb at the Singapore Sling, breaking the front-left suspension on landing; he was fined US$10,000 for attempting to drive back to the pits rather than stopping at a safe position.

Rain returned on Saturday, ending three hours before the final session. The circuit dried unevenly, making tyre choice difficult. Vettel was fastest at 1:48.028, four-tenths ahead of Alonso. Senna brushed a wall entering the Esplanade Bridge in the final minute and stopped on the circuit; the yellow flags prevented other drivers from improving their times.

Milestones

Alonso’s engine situation adds urgency to the Singapore weekend. He has used his entire allocation of eight engines and any replacement will incur a ten-place grid penalty. His rivals each have at least one untouched engine in reserve; Webber has two.