Marina Bay Street Circuit facts for kids
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| Location | Singapore |
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| Time zone | GMT +8 |
| Major events | FIA Formula One Singapore Grand Prix |
| Length | 5.073 km (3.15 mi) |
| Turns | 23 |
| Race lap record | 1:43.885 ( Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, 2015) |
The Marina Bay Street Circuit is a special kind of race track built on regular city streets. It is found around the Marina Bay area in Singapore. This circuit is famous for hosting the Singapore Grand Prix, which is a big Formula One car race.
The track is about 5.073 kilometers (3.15 miles) long. It runs right next to the harbour, much like the famous Monaco Grand Prix circuit. The circuit was designed by a company called KBR Inc. They made changes to an earlier design by Hermann Tilke, who is well-known for designing many race tracks.
Contents
What Makes the Circuit Special?
The Marina Bay Street Circuit has some very unique features. The area where the race cars stop for repairs, called the pit area, is on an empty piece of land. A temporary road connects the pit area to the main track. This road goes under the Benjamin Sheares Bridge.
The race cars drive along many well-known streets in Singapore. These include Republic Boulevard, Raffles Boulevard, Nicoll Highway, Stamford Road, and Saint Andrew's Road. They also pass famous landmarks like the Padang and the City Hall.
The track also crosses the Anderson Bridge and goes past the Fullerton Hotel. A very sharp left turn leads to Esplanade Drive, right next to the Merlion Park. The cars then join Raffles Avenue and turn towards The Float at Marina Bay. Finally, they return to the pit area using another temporary road near the Singapore Flyer.
One of the most interesting parts of the track is between turns 18 and 19. Here, the race cars actually drive under a section of a grandstand! This is very unusual for a race track.
Driver Feedback and Changes
Some Formula One drivers have said that the track is very bumpy. Lewis Hamilton once mentioned that it was twice as hard to drive on as the Monaco street circuit. He said it was very physically demanding, meaning drivers needed a lot of energy for each lap.
Other drivers, like Sébastien Bourdais and Fernando Alonso, were worried about the high kerbs (curbs) at turn 13 and the chicane (a sharp bend) at turn 10. They feared that hitting these bumps could damage their cars or even push them into the wall. Because of these concerns, Charlie Whiting, a race director, ordered changes to the kerbs at turn 10.
The entry to the pit lane was also a concern for drivers. They found it "difficult and incredibly dangerous" because of the fast corners leading into it. This part of the track was also changed before the official qualifying race.
Corner Names
In March 2009, three corners on the circuit were given special names:
- Turn 1 was named Sheares. This was in honor of Benjamin Henry Sheares, who was the second president of Singapore.
- Turn 7 was named Memorial. This corner is close to a memorial for civilians from the Second World War.
- Turn 10 was named Singapore Sling.
Gallery
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The Audience Stand
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Turn 22
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The Esplanade part of the circuit, one week before the 2008 race
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A view of the circuit from above, two days before the 2008 race
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The second-to-last turn
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Turn 7 of the Marina Bay Street Circuit
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The Stamford Grandstand between Turns 7 and 8
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Raffles Avenue after Turn 14
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Singapore F1 night race 2012 city skyline
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The Singapore Formula 1 Pit Building before the 2014 Singapore Grand Prix.
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The 'Singapore Sling' chicane (seen in 2008) was removed before the 2013 race.
Images for kids
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A satellite view of the course, showing how it looks when the roads are open to the public.
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See also
In Spanish: Circuito callejero de Marina Bay para niños
