Singapore Grand Prix: The F1 race live at Marina Bay – Nextgen-Auto.com

The seventeenth round of the 2022 F1 season, the Singapore Grand Prix returns to the calendar this year after two missed editions due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This could see Max Verstappen ratify his second world championship title (see possible scenarios here), even if his failed qualification makes a coronation unlikely today. Indeed, Charles Leclerc took pole position, while the Red Bull driver only started eighth after a mistake by his team in qualifying. It is his teammate, Sergio Pérez, who accompanies Leclerc on the front row, while Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz share the second. Fernando Alonso and Lando Norris are on the third row ahead of Pierre Gasly and Verstappen, then Kevin Magnussen and Yuki Tsunoda. Esteban Ocon was eliminated in Q1 due to a brake problem while George Russell, who set the 11th fastest time in qualifying, will start from the pits after an engine change. 1:15 p.m .: The start of the Grand Prix has already been delayed due to the torrential rains that have just fallen on Singapore. The Race Direction will give several updates on the weather, which is currently terrible in the City-State. 1:31 p.m.: The rain is still very present in Singapore, and the race management should give information around 1:45 p.m. French time. From there, the drivers could join the track ten minutes later, provided that the rain subsides by then, which is not currently the case. 1:36 p.m.: Rules in Singapore state that loud events must not exceed 10:30 p.m. local time, or 4:30 p.m. French time. To see however if a derogation could be applied, since the race can be done at any time in terms of visibility. 1:45 p.m .: The pit lane is open, the safety car is on track and the rain is stopping. According to Mario Isola, the director of Pirelli F1, this could mark the end of the rain for the afternoon. 1:59 p.m .: Race management has announced the times for the new procedure. The start procedure will begin at 2:05 p.m., the pit lane will open at 2:25 p.m., it will close at 2:35 p.m. and the formation lap will take place at 3:05 p.m. French time. 2:13 p.m .: The weather radars confirm that the rain will not return during the race. On the other hand, with the local humidity and the current night, the track will not be dry at the start and this will most certainly be done on intermediate tyres. 2.25 p.m .: The pit lane opens so that the drivers can test the track conditions and go and place their car on the starting grid. The single-seaters are shod with “full wet” tires for the rain. 2:27 p.m .: Some drivers, like Charles Leclerc, are testing the practicability of intermediate tires in these conditions, when we see large sprays of water behind the cars. 2:30 p.m.: The drivers put on the two tire compounds to assess the grip, but also to carry out a first break-in of the rubbers. The race direction specified that it will communicate at 3 p.m., French time, to say whether the start will be behind the safety car or not. 2:32 p.m .: Max Verstappen made a mistake on his grid lap on intermediate tires by pulling straight into a loophole, without gravity. 2:38 p.m .: Sergio Pérez confirms on the radio that it is still too early for intermediate tyres. Whether the track will evolve in the next 30 minutes remains to be seen, but it seems hard to imagine drastically. 2.50 p.m .: The procedures with the national anthem in particular are in progress, and the start will indeed take place in 15 minutes, although we still have to know in what form, the track still being very wet. 2:55 p.m .: The drivers helmet themselves, a few minutes before the announcement of the FIA ​​on the type of departure which we will attend. 3:03 p.m .: All the drivers start on intermediate tires, and it will be crucial to see when the switch to soft will take place. 3:05 p.m .: In parallel with the start of the formation lap, we learn from Helmut Marko that the FIA ​​and the teams, therefore Red Bull, are arguing over the interpretation of certain points of the budget ceiling. Enough to make it a hot topic in the coming weeks! Start: Excellent start from Pérez unlike Leclerc, but especially Verstappen! The whole peloton passes, but the splashes of water are significant. Round 1: Pérez is in the lead ahead of Leclerc, Sainz who got rid of Hamilton and Norris. Alonso is sixth ahead of Gasly and Vettel, then Tsunoda and Stroll. Verstappen was roughed up by Magnussen then Ricciardo but got rid of the Australian then Mick Schumacher to be 11th at the end of the first lap. Albon is last after a spin. Round 2: Verstappen tries to come back and gets rid of Stroll to take tenth place. In front, Leclerc is in the wake of Pérez. Round 3: Leclerc sets the fastest lap in the race in 2″01″214, while Sainz is 3″4 behind his teammate. Hamilton is also detached, the gaps widening quite quickly. Only Verstappen is in the wake of Tsunoda.