In the round-up: The Singapore Grand Prix organisers have added new grandstands to the Marina Bay circuit for 2023 to account for the loss of the Float sequence from the track layout.
In brief
Singapore adds new grandstands after temporary loss of Float
Due to renovation work on a waterside platform known as ‘The Float’, the Marina Bay street circuit will not feature the sequence from turns 16 to 19 that ran by the platform and under the grandstand until renovations are completed midway through 2026.
Instead, the circuit will now run from the kink of turn 15 directly into the former turn 20 right hander, which will now become turn 16.
To compensate for the loss of grandstand space, organisers have announced two new grandstands will be added on the inside of the first corner and just before the pit entry before the final two corners. Tickets for the new grandstands will start from S$1,188.
Andretti has faith in Honda ahead of Indy 500
Michael Andretti says Honda are working “very hard” to ensure their engines will compete with Chevrolet during next month’s Indianapolis 500.
Honda powered Marcus Ericsson to victory in last year’s Indianapolis 500, but Chevrolet engines have won each of the four oval races that have followed. Andretti, whose team run Honda engines, says he has faith in his engine supplier.
“I think they’re pretty equal, they’re getting pretty equal, ’cause there’s only so much you can do with this engine, right?,” Andretti said. “I think they’re getting closer to each other.”
“They’re always still trying to find that last little bit. I know Honda is working very hard still to do it. We’re told we’re going to have some more stuff for Indy. I’m hoping it will be what we need to beat the other guys.”
Madrid street circuit rumours resurface
Rumours the Spanish Grand Prix could move to a street circuit Madrid in the future have resurfaced in local media reports. Suggestions a temporary circuit could replace the Circuit de Catalunya outside Barcelona as the home of the race have been around for years, but gained fresh impetus recently.
Aston Martin’s leap forward means Spain now has two drivers who are potential podium contenders: Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz Jnr, who is from Madrid. The Spanish capital is also home to the recently-opened F1 exhibition at the Ifema facility. The mooted street circuit would run between that venue and the Valdedebas area, close to the Bernabeu stadium of Real Madrid football team. Spanish media suggests the track would replace the Catalunya circuit as the race’s home once its contract expires at the end of 2026.
Links
Motor racing links of interest:
Mick’s Diary: Life as an F1 Reserve Driver (Mercedes)
“I visited it back in 2014 as a young driver and was even sneaking in the simulator then, but everything is a lot bigger now than it was then! It is a state-of-the-art facility, very impressive in how things are structured and how every detail is thoughtfully taken care of. I’m still getting used to the level of preparation that you see here, and I am trying to soak up as much information as I can. Also, there’s still a lot of people I haven’t met but it’s been fun getting to know as many colleagues as I can.”
How Sauber are preparing for Audi’s arrival – and keeping the pressure on in the midfield battle (F1)
“We started this plan in 2017. We started from very far. We were almost starting from scratch in 2017. We had nice facilities from the BMW era, but they remained like this for the next 10 years – no upgrades, no improvements. We were 180 people. Now we are more than double.”
Every Formula 1 Driver Who Tried to Push His Car to the Finish Line (Jalopnik)
“Innes Ireland’s Lotus stopped at Casino Square, and this madman pushed the damn thing all the way to the finish just so he could be classified in ninth place.”
Zak O’Sullivan talks F3 racing for Williams and his career goals (Irish Post)
“I think it’s really cool. Williams has such a big heritage in the sport of motor racing and within F1. Being involved and under their wing has been a massive help for me. I think the fact that you can lean back and learn from an F1 team is always really helpful. I hope it continues.”
How An Eccentric Racing Heir Became King of Hollywood Media (LA Mag)
“Penske, now 44, grew up in Detroit and New York around racing, as the youngest son of motorsports icon Roger Penske, the billionaire owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, IndyCar and various championship-winning Penske Racing teams. Jay Penske has kept his hand in the family racing business by creating his own path, leaning into the future by going all-electric in 2014. So there he was, facing the camera a few months ago in a brief but rare public appearance during the team’s 15-minute online presentation, praising the new third-generation Formula E car, an open-wheel machine with a top speed of 200 mph.”
NASCAR’s race to evolve (Sports Business Journal)
“The California transaction underscores how the 75-year-old NASCAR, which owns the largest portfolio of nationally sanctioned racing venues in America, is rethinking the very fundamentals of its business. It decided it was better to capitalize on the rising land values near Los Angeles and deploy that money to other initiatives than just continue with the status quo, which was running a capital-intensive, 2-mile track an hour away from L.A.”
F1 Las Vegas | Topping Out Ceremony (Las Vegas Grand Prix via YouTube)
Video of the topping out ceremony when construction began of the first permanent building of the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
We always endeavour to credit original sources. If you have a tip for a link relating to single-seater motorsport to feature in the next RaceFans round-up please send it to us via the contact form.
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
Social media
Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:
What a weekend! 👏
Alex Powell, our Junior Driver, took his first KZ2 victory on Sunday at the first round of the @fiakarting European Championship. 😊 pic.twitter.com/j2mLHfhsGh
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) April 17, 2023
Genuinely impressed by the amount of death threats and abuse I’ve received 😂
Definitely a new record by far, really appreciate the effort to help me learn all these new Spanish words 😘I’m going to the beach now 😎 hasta luego ❤️
— Callum Ilott (@callum_ilott) April 16, 2023
You don’t deserve this, mate! And most Argentinians aren’t like this! You are the one pushing the team forward and helping Canapino the most… every 🇦🇷 fan should be grateful to have you.
Next time you’re in Buenos Aires, I would teach you some of the nice Spanish words. 💪🏼— Franco Colapinto (@FranColapinto) April 17, 2023
Just having breakfast and realized something… 11 years ago we were told we were being replaced because we werent winners… lets pls forget about me for a second but just while im having my coffe i found out @Sebastien_buemi my former team mate in F1 keeps….
— Jaime Alguersuari (@SquireMusic) April 17, 2023
On adding wins and trophies to his back.. i forgot how many world titles he has already to his back and i m not just happy and proud of him but as time goes by I realized how many race wins and maybe world titles he would ve won at Red Bull racing F1. Again pls dont judge me…
— Jaime Alguersuari (@SquireMusic) April 17, 2023
Annnnnd representing @ds_penske_fe at the official rookie test in Berlin is… 👀
The duo of Robert @ShwartzmanRob and @WillStevens_! ⚡️ @SABIC #BerlinEPrix
— ABB FIA Formula E World Championship (@FIAFormulaE) April 17, 2023
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Alan and Consi!
On this day in motorsport
- 30 years ago today Paul Tracy won the CART IndyCar Grand Prix of Long Beach for Penske ahead of Bobby Rahal and Nigel Mansell
