Baku and Singapore are around seven thousand kilometers apart, and the Formula 1 circus has just overcome another logistical challenge this season, moving personnel, cars, and equipment in a few days from the Caspian Sea to the city-state where the Malacca Strait meets the South China Sea. It's the first time these two races have been run back-to-back.

The circuit was modified in 2023 to improve flow but remains one of the season's twistiest. Its length is now 4.940 kilometers, increasing the laps to 62. A 400-meter straight has replaced turns 16 to 19, reducing the number of corners from 23 to 19.

As with all street circuits, mistakes in Singapore are costly due to the lack of run-off areas, and even minor errors can lead to hitting the barriers.

At Marina Bay, drivers often manage their tires in long first stints, leading to trains of cars running nose-to-tail with little chance to overtake, despite three DRS zones. To increase action, the FIA has added a fourth DRS zone between turns 14 and 16.

This was the first ever Grand Prix to be run at night under floodlights, and it has always provided a great show. On a tight track like this, qualifying is crucial, with nine of 14 races won from pole. Sebastian Vettel, the King of Singapore, has won five times—four from pole.

FRIDAY

Lando Norris was the fastest by the end of the first day of the Singapore Grand Prix. The McLaren driver set his best time in the second session, clocking a 1:30.727—58 thousandths quicker than second-placed Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari. Both drivers were already faster than last year’s pole position time set by Carlos Sainz (1:30.984).

The track’s significant improvement from a year ago was already evident in FP1, when the same two drivers topped the timesheets, but in reverse order: first the Monegasque with a 1:31.763, and second the Englishman with a 1:31.839—both quicker than last year’s Friday times.

SATURDAY

The third free practice session was primarily focused on preparations for qualifying. Three drivers—Colapinto (Williams) and the Sauber duo of Bottas and Zhou—only ran on the Soft tire. The other 17 drivers used one set of Mediums and one set of Softs, with the Aston Martin duo conducting their usual scrubbing of Medium and Hard sets, which they will retain for the race, as per the regulations.

After a thrilling qualifying session, Lando Norris secured pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix. This marked the McLaren driver’s sixth career pole and his fifth of the season—an impressive feat. His blistering lap time of 1:29.525 was over 1.4 seconds quicker than the 2023 pole time of 1:30.984, set by Carlos Sainz. This achievement gave McLaren its 161st pole position, with all six of the most recent ones coming courtesy of Norris.

Max Verstappen, with a lap time of 1:29.728, lined up alongside Norris, though he once again narrowly missed out on pole at the Marina Bay Circuit. The second row was all about Mercedes, with Lewis Hamilton (1:29.841) leading teammate George Russell by a mere 26 thousandths of a second.

SUNDAY

It was impressive and refreshing to see so many female Formula 1 fans in the stands, cheering for their favorite teams and drivers.

Lando Norris secured his third career win, leading from lights out to chequered flag. This marked McLaren’s return to the top step of the Singapore podium, ending a 15-year drought since Lewis Hamilton’s victory in 2009. Norris crossed the line ahead of Max Verstappen in the Red Bull, with the Dutchman still unable to clinch a win here, extending his winless streak to eight Grands Prix. Oscar Piastri finished third in the other McLaren, securing his ninth podium from 40 Grand Prix starts. The Woking-based team has now achieved at least one podium finish in the past 14 races, amassing a total of 17 podiums.

Daniel Ricciardo set the fastest lap of the race for the 17th time in his career, his last coming at Monza in 2021, also driving for McLaren. It was Racing Bulls' first-ever fastest lap.

Ricciardo was also voted 'Driver of the Day' by fans on f1.com.

NEXT STOP: The UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX! 🇺🇸

Excerpts of this article provided by Pirelli S.p.A.