F1 Rollercoaster in Singapore

Singapore’s thrills, the flexi floor controversy, and Lawson’s dazzling entry.

Hey there, podium-sitter! 👋

Singapore GP was nothing short of a rollercoaster, and if you’re still catching your breath, you’re not alone!

🏎️ Smooth Operator Sainz! Briliant pole & victory for Carlos after showing his great strategy skills while taking corners at 150 mph.

🌟 New Faces, New Races! With three vacant grid slots for 2024 up for grabs, the competition is fierce! And what about Lawson? His first ever F1 points are taken, but his future is still doubtful.

😢 Russell’s Heartbreak. That final lap error cost him dearly, and the image of him in tears post-race is a stark reminder of the razor-thin margins in this sport.

Strap in and gear up because, beyond the on-track drama, there’s plenty more!

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In today’s email:

1. Speedy Race Review – Here’s the scoop on the Singapore GP action! It’ll be so real, you’ll feel like you’re right there on the track!
2. In-depth education– Telemetry: The Unsung Hero of F1
3. Fast Lane News – Quick update on the latest Formula 1 chatter!
4. The Japanese GP – Check out the track & weather info
   Lights out, and away we go!

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Speedy Race Review

😮 Crashes and surprises during qualifying

🔴 Sainz secured pole position for the second race in a row
🟠 Piastri had bad timing luck
🔵 Both Red Bulls out in Q2
📈 McLaren matches Red Bull
🔝 Russell (P2), Maggnussen (P6), and Lawson (P10) made it into the top 10!
✅ Great performance by Ferrari and Haas, thanks to their low drag and fantastic grip.

 

👀 Drama unfolds during the race

Victory: Carlos Sainz won, keeping both Lando Norris and the Mercedes team behind.

Between the lines:

⚫ Mercedes had an extra tire set, which gave them an advantage. The double-pit stop strategy contributed, giving Russell and Hamilton a fresh tyre in the last laps (and the fastest lap point, too)

🔴 Sainz was the fastest 1-stopper

🔵 VER and 🟠 Norris were matched

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📽️ Related: George Russell was left with “the most horrendous feeling in the world” after crashing out of a podium finish on the final lap of Formula 1’s 2023 Singapore Grand Prix. – See the interview

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🔴 Sainz’s Tactics:

Used Norris as a shield against Mercedes.

Controlled the race pace, especially during safety car periods.

🌟Standout performances:

Norris kept Hamilton at bay, securing second place.

Max Verstappen started behind but finished fifth

Liam Lawson earned his first F1 points, finishing ninth.

 

💥Notable incidents:

• George Russell crashed on the last lap.
• Logan Sargeant’s crash brought out a safety car.
• Sergio Perez and Yuki Tsunoda had a first-lap clash.
• Perez retains P8 despite penalty for ‘divebomb’ on Albon

Singapore GP Teammate Race Pace Gaps

🟠 Norris-Piastri was the highest gap difference out of all. Norris had the upgrades, Piastri did not.

 

🪽 Flexi parts stir up F1 drama

At a glance: Singapore GP’s new flexi wing directive has F1 fans wondering if team ranks might shuffle.

Why this matters:

Red Bull, the 2023 leader, is on the defense. Christian Horner, their boss, denies any team struggles relate to the new FIA wing rules.

Although the fuss is about flexi wings, the bigger mystery might be the floors. They’re a game-changer for car performance.

Recent emphasis isn’t on “skid blocks” but on the “plank” part of the car’s floor. Teams seem to exploit its flexibility.

There’s a cheeky 2mm tolerance in the regulations. Teams might be using this for bonus flexibility, essentially “sucking” the floor down at high speeds.

🛑 Stopping the flexing:

The FIA’s not playing. Their updated documents are looking to halt the flexi floor tricks.

Their message? Keep that floor solid, no “elastomeric” or wiggly stuff.

🔄 Shaking up the grid:

Teams adapting to these rules could see a dip in performance.

However, Red Bull and McLaren bosses suggest Singapore’s race outcomes might just be a one-off.

📅 What’s Next:

Eyes on Japan’s Suzuka circuit. It’ll reveal if any teams were skirting the rules to get an edge. If results there mirror Singapore’s… well, get the popcorn ready. – Read the in-depth article here

🤝 Who Gets the Chair When the Music Stops?

AlphaTauri has a juicy problem – three rockstar drivers, but only two seats for 2024.

Between the lines:

• Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda seemed like the dynamic duo set for 2024.
• Enter Liam Lawson: Subbed in for an injured Ricciardo and absolutely SLAYED.
• Highlights? Survived a tough debut, nearly beat Tsunoda in Italy, shined in Singapore, and upstaged champ Max Verstappen. Mic drop! 🎤

What We’re Hearing:

• F1 enthusiasts, including the cool peeps like Matt Gallagher and Karun Chandhok, are all in with the #GiveLawsonASeat vibes.
• Rumor mill says Tsunoda might have a seat-lock soon, to be unveiled at the Japanese Grand Prix.
• Throwback plan from 2005? Sharing seats? Worked once, but kinda tricky.
• Williams has one seat to spare for 2024. Could it be the saving grace for the third wheel in this AlphaTauri love triangle?

You can read the in depth analysis by Steven Walton here.

🔴 Sainz overtakes Leclerc in team leadership

Looks like Carlos Sainz is stepping up as Ferrari’s team leader, overtaking Charles Leclerc.

 

Sainz showed impressive leadership, snagging a win and managing the pace from start to finish. Meanwhile, Leclerc ended up in fourth place, seemingly playing a supporting role to Sainz.

I think Sainz might be more of a team leader than Charles Leclerc. The way he [Sainz] talks on the radio, the way he takes matters into his own hands.

Allard Kalff, journalist at RTL

A standout moment came when Leclerc wanted fresh tires during a race segment, but Ferrari asked him to hold off. When Mercedes did opt to change their tires, their drivers, Russell and Hamilton, zoomed past Leclerc to battle for a top spot.

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🔴 Related: Ferrari: Carlos Sainz’s tactic in slowing down deliberately to keep Lando Norris within DRS range was entirely his idea. – Read the interview

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While Leclerc listens to his team’s decisions, Sainz isn’t afraid to voice his own opinions, even if they go against the team’s recommendations. Take, for instance, when Leclerc was given hard tires (which didn’t work out well), Sainz boldly refused the same tires, suggesting a different approach instead. – Read more

🟢 Stroll’s mistake costs Aston in Singapore

Lance Stroll’s mistake in Singapore messed up qualifying big time. – Watch here

The Canadian driver felt the pressure, especially with traffic issues and a stop at the weighbridge. Sadly, he lost it on the final corner. Aston couldn’t fix his car in time for the race, and Stroll was still feeling the crash’s effects.

Aston’s team principal, Mike Krack, tried to put a positive spin on it, saying it shows Stroll’s commitment. But let’s be honest: Stroll messed up, and because of that, the team had one less car in the race.

This year, it’s clear that Stroll’s struggling, especially compared to top-notch drivers like Alonso. Some people are starting to wonder if his dad keeping him in one of Aston’s F1 seats is holding the team back in the championship race. – Read more

👑 Red Bull’s reign interrupted

Ferrari just broke Red Bull’s winning streak this year! Carlos Sainz took the top spot in Singapore, making him the first non-Red Bull winner of the year.

Toto Wolff said it’s like a “breath of fresh air” for F1.

It’s a breath of fresh air that we have a different winner, we have a podium without them so you’ve got to take the small positives in a year of Red Bull dominance.

Toto Wolff

This was the first time in 15 races that Red Bull didn’t clinch the win. That’s since last year’s final race in Abu Dhabi!

 

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🔴 Related: Verstappen says Red Bull were ‘unlucky’ in Singapore as historic winning streaks come to an end – Read more

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Red Bull had a tough time. Both Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez had issues during qualifying. Though they made it to the points on race day, they weren’t battling for the top spot.

Wolff feels it’s great for F1 to see someone other than Red Bull taking the win. – Read more

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Telemetry: The Unsung Hero of F1

Ever wondered how your favorite team manages to make split-second decisions during a race? Or how they tweak their car’s performance every millisecond? The answer lies in a word you’ve probably heard thrown around but might not fully understand: telemetry.

What is telemetry in F1?

Telemetry is the real-time data transfer from the racing car to the engineering team.

Let’s break it down with a simple analogy. Imagine driving your car with a hyper-intelligent co-pilot. This co-pilot doesn’t just help with navigation but also constantly tells you how your engine’s performing, how much pressure is in your tires, and even if your left foot is a tad too heavy on the brake pedal. In F1, telemetry plays the role of that super co-pilot.

READ THE ARTICLE HERE

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Fast Lane News