Singapore's first sprint weekend: one practice session, 33 points on offer
The Singapore Grand Prix runs from this Friday to Sunday and, for the first time, includes a sprint. There is only one practice session, on Friday, so teams must go into Sprint Qualifying with very little setup time. A driver can score up to 33 points over the weekend.
Session times: local time and UTC
Local times below come from the Formula1.com timetable, with UTC derived from them (Singapore is UTC+8). The official timetable carries a note that it is subject to change.
| Session | Local (SGT) | UTC |
|---|---|---|
| Fri 9 Oct Practice | 16:30-17:30 | 08:30-09:30 |
| Fri 9 Oct Sprint Qualifying | 20:30-21:14 | 12:30-13:14 |
| Sat 10 Oct Sprint | 17:00-17:30 | 09:00-09:30 |
| Sat 10 Oct Qualifying | 21:00-22:00 | 13:00-14:00 |
| Sun 11 Oct Grand Prix | 20:00-22:00 | 12:00-14:00 |
The sources do not fully agree. Sky Sports gives UK times of 9:30am for practice and 1pm for the race, matching Formula1.com, but its Singapore local times for the same sessions (practice at 2pm, sprint at 11pm and so on) differ from Formula1.com. This article follows the local times from Formula1.com and Grande Premio.
Format: 21-lap sprint, 62-lap race
According to Formula1.com, the sprint is 21 laps or 60 minutes and the Grand Prix is 62 laps or 120 minutes at the 4.927km Marina Bay Street Circuit. Sky Sports described Saturday's sprint as a 100km race that awards points, with just one practice session beforehand, so teams must find a setup quickly. Grande Premio called it Singapore's first F1 sprint.
The sprint is worth 8 points and the race 25, so a driver can take at most 33 points; the chart above shows the split.
Championship: Antonelli cannot clinch in Singapore
Grande Premio reported that Kimi Antonelli arrives on 320 points, 84 clear of George Russell on 236. The same piece said he cannot seal the title at Marina Bay. At the previous race in Sepang, Max Verstappen won, with Antonelli second and Lewis Hamilton third; Russell stopped late with a power unit problem.
Weather: dry Friday and Saturday, thunderstorms forecast for Sunday
Sky Sports said no rain is expected for Friday and Saturday's track action, but thunderstorms are forecast for Sunday's Grand Prix. Temperatures are between 28C and 33C all week. The article added that rain at Marina Bay typically arrives in heavy bursts, and that the 2022 race was delayed by severe conditions. With Sunday's Sepang race itself delayed by heavy rain, the forecast is worth watching this week.
The timetable and the forecast can both change, so check the official schedule again shortly before each session.