Singapore GP gets tougher with first Sprint, new cars and just one practice session

McLaren's Lando Norris looked surprised when a reporter told him he would also be racing in daylight at Marina Bay this weekend.

"I've not even thought of that. Honestly, I didn't even know. So thanks for letting me know," said the reigning world champion on Thursday (Oct 8) when asked about Saturday's 5pm Sprint.

The Singapore Grand Prix remains a night race, with Sunday's main event starting at 8pm, but the Sprint will be the first competitive F1 race at Marina Bay to be held before nightfall.

It is one of several changes facing drivers at a race already regarded as one of the toughest on the calendar.

They will also be racing a new generation of cars at the 4.927km circuit for the first time, with only one practice session before competitive racing begins.

A Sprint is a shorter race of about 100km, roughly a third of a Grand Prix distance, with points awarded to the top eight finishers.

It has its own qualifying session on Friday night, while a separate session on Saturday night determines the grid for the Grand Prix.

Singapore hosts the sixth and final Sprint of the 2026 season.

The format gives fans an additional race but reduces practice from three sessions to one, leaving drivers just 60 minutes on Friday afternoon to prepare.

That comes in the first season of sweeping new technical regulations, which introduced redesigned power units with a much greater electrical component and movable front and rear wings.

Teams would normally have another two sessions to adjust the car based on what they learn from their opening runs.

This weekend, they have only a few hours before Sprint qualifying.

Norris believes the shortened preparation could work in his favour.

"I think that can be one of my strengths, to find the limits with not much time," he said.

The 26-year-old, who won in Singapore in 2024 and has finished on the podium in four of the five Sprints this season, said drivers are usually separated by only hundredths or tenths of a second after three practice sessions.

With only one, he described getting up to speed around a street circuit in the new cars as a "big, big challenge".

"All in all, it's a tough track, but one I enjoy," he added.

There is also more at stake in the championship, with a Sprint victory worth eight points in addition to the 25 available for winning Sunday's Grand Prix.

Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli, 20, arrives with an 84-point lead over teammate George Russell in the drivers' standings and is on course to become the sport's youngest world champion.

Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton is a further 22 points behind in third.

Russell, who won the Singapore GP in 2025, is set for a grid penalty after a power-unit failure in Malaysia forced Mercedes into an engine change, dealing another blow to his title hopes.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen, meanwhile, arrives fresh from his first win of the season in Malaysia.

The Singapore conditions could make the weekend harder still.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) declared a heat hazard for both the Sprint and Grand Prix on Oct 8, with the heat index forecast to exceed 31 deg C.

Cars must therefore be fitted with functioning driver-cooling systems for both races.

The heat has long been one of Marina Bay's defining challenges, with drivers losing as much as 3kg over the course of the race.

Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, who won the inaugural Singapore GP in 2008, said preparation starts days before the race.

Alonso said the humidity would make drivers struggle and lose a lot of water during the race.

"It's not only that you drink a little bit [of water] on Sunday morning and you are okay to race," he said.

"I think we need to start on Friday."

Singapore has also been experiencing unhealthy levels of haze from fires in Indonesia, with the FIA monitoring air quality alongside local authorities.

If it rains during Friday's sole practice session, teams could head into Sprint qualifying with little dry-weather running.

Norris said he has had limited experience driving the 2026 car in wet conditions and expects Marina Bay to be particularly unforgiving if rain arrives.

"All street circuits are nasty when it's raining, especially because you have the white lines and the zebra crossings," he said.

"You just have no room for error."

Aston Martin are also expecting Singapore to suit them better after an improved showing in Malaysia.

Asked why, Alonso said: "Lesser straight."

Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, is relishing the prospect of the weekend.

"I think the short session that we have makes it tough, but it's the same for everybody," he said.

"Everyone's in the same boat. I think it's kind of exciting."

shafiq.Apandi@asiaone.com

当记者告诉迈凯伦车队的兰多·诺里斯，他本周末也将在滨海湾赛道参加白天的比赛时，诺里斯显得很惊讶。

“我根本没想过这件事。说实话，我之前都不知道。所以谢谢你告诉我，”这位卫冕世界冠军在周四（10月8日）被问及周六下午5点的短距离赛时说道。

新加坡大奖赛仍为夜间比赛，周日的主赛将于晚上 8 点开始，但冲刺赛将是滨海湾赛道上第一场在夜幕降临前举行的 F1 正式比赛。

这是车手们在这场已被认为是赛历上最艰难的比赛之一的诸多变化之一。

他们还将首次在 4.927 公里的赛道上驾驶新一代赛车，在正式比赛开始前只有一次练习赛。

短距离赛是赛程较短的比赛，大约为 100 公里，约为大奖赛距离的三分之一，前八名完赛者可获得积分。

它在周五晚上有自己的排位赛，而周六晚上的另一场排位赛将决定大奖赛的发车位。

新加坡将举办 2026 赛季的第六场也是最后一场冲刺赛。

这种赛制可以让车迷多看一场比赛，但会将练习赛从三节减少到一节，只给车手们周五下午 60 分钟的准备时间。

这是全新技术规则实施的第一个赛季，新规则引入了重新设计的动力单元，其电气元件更大，并且前后翼均可移动。

通常情况下，车队还有两节练习赛的时间来根据第一节练习赛的经验调整赛车。

本周末，距离冲刺赛排位赛只有几个小时了。

诺里斯认为缩短备战时间可能对他有利。

“我认为我的优势之一就是能在时间不多的情况下找到极限，”他说。

这位 26 岁的车手曾在 2024 年新加坡站夺冠，并在本赛季的五场冲刺赛中四次登上领奖台。他表示，经过三节练习赛后，车手之间的差距通常只有百分之一秒或十分之一秒。

他形容，只有一辆新车，要在街道赛道上快速适应赛道是一个“巨大的挑战”。

“总而言之，这是一条艰难的赛道，但我很喜欢，”他补充道。

此外，锦标赛还有更多悬念，冲刺赛的胜利除了周日大奖赛的 25 分之外，还能获得 8 分。

20岁的梅赛德斯车手基米·安东内利在车手积分榜上领先队友乔治·拉塞尔84分，有望成为这项运动中最年轻的世界冠军。

法拉利车队的刘易斯·汉密尔顿落后22分，排名第三。

拉塞尔曾在 2025 年新加坡大奖赛上夺冠，但由于马来西亚站动力单元故障迫使梅赛德斯车队更换引擎，他将面临发车位罚退，这对他争夺总冠军的希望又是一个打击。

与此同时，红牛车队的马克斯·维斯塔潘刚刚在马来西亚站赢得了本赛季的首场胜利。

新加坡的天气状况可能会让周末的比赛更加艰难。

国际汽车联合会（FIA）宣布 10 月 8 日的短程赛和大奖赛将面临高温危险，预计体感温度将超过 31 摄氏度。

因此，两场比赛的赛车都必须配备功能正常的驾驶员冷却系统。

高温一直是滨海湾赛道的一大挑战，车手们在比赛过程中体重最多会下降 3 公斤。

曾两次获得世界冠军的费尔南多·阿隆索（Fernando Alonso）在2008年赢得了首届新加坡大奖赛的冠军，他表示准备工作会在比赛前几天就开始了。

阿隆索表示，高湿度会让车手们在比赛中遇到困难，并流失大量水分。

“这并不是说你周日早上喝点水就可以参加比赛，”他说。

我认为我们需要从周五开始。

新加坡也受到了印尼山火造成的严重烟霾影响，国际汽联正与地方当局一起监测空气质量。

如果周五唯一的练习赛期间下雨，各车队在冲刺赛排位赛前可能几乎没有进行过干燥天气下的练习。

诺里斯表示，他在潮湿条件下驾驶 2026 款赛车的经验有限，预计如果下雨，滨海湾赛道将会非常严酷。

“下雨天所有街道赛道都很糟糕，尤其是有白线和斑马线的时候，”他说。

“你根本没有犯错的余地。”

阿斯顿·马丁在马来西亚取得进步后，也期待新加坡市场能更好地适应他们的需求。

当被问及原因时，阿隆索说：“不太直。”

七届世界冠军汉密尔顿非常期待这个周末的比赛。

“我认为我们训练时间短，这让训练变得很困难，但对每个人来说都是一样的，”他说。

“大家都在同一条船上。我觉得这挺令人兴奋。”

shafiq.Apandi@asiaone.com