Five Things You Didn't Know About the 2026 Singapore GP

The heat and humidity next awaits our drivers, as they take on the Marina Bay Street Circuit for the Singapore Grand Prix. It’s a tough challenge, and for the first time-ever there will be a Formula 1 Sprint weekend. Last season, George was victorious here and as a constructor Mercedes has the most wins here with five.

F1’s First Night Race

Racing under the floodlights might feel like a common occurrence on the current calendar – with events like Las Vegas, Bahrain, Qatar and Abu Dhabi – but did you know Singapore was the circuit that started that trend back in 2008?

At the time racing at night was seen as rather revolutionary, and drivers had questions about the visibility, but the incredible lights used can sometimes make the track conditions even better and brighter than racing during the day. Approximately 1,600 custom-made floodlights are spread around the track and are about four times brighter than you would get at a standard sports stadium.

Ever since the first-ever night race in F1’s then 58-year history, Singapore has embraced the nightlife routine with big fireworks displays, huge concerts and a chance for teams and drivers to ‘enable night mode’ with fun helmet designs that sparkle and shine under the lights.

Still on European time

Despite being held in Asia, drivers will adjust their body clocks to be on European time. That means waking up early in the afternoon and getting to track later for FP1, which starts at 16:30 local time on Friday, and trying to be as awake and ready to go for the latest session of the weekend, which is Qualifying at 21:00 local on Saturday.

This means everything finishes much later than usual, and after the sessions themselves, media commitments, debriefing and engineering chats with the team and more, you are often left leaving the track way past midnight.

George filmed a lot of his Singapore weekend from 2024 in the Netflix Drive to Survive episode ‘Into the Heat of the Night’, where you can see his weekend schedule. From his 14:00 alarm, to playing padel after midnight and the essential blackout blinds at his hotel, it’s a fascinating look behind-the-scenes.

Training in the Sauna?

Drivers are used to racing in all sorts of conditions, but Singapore stands out as one of the hardest as the sheer heat results in them losing an average of 3kg in body weight. Even though it’s held at night, last year’s race was the first to be declared a 'heat hazard' race according to the sport’s governing body.

So, how do drivers prepare for these conditions? Well, there are several options. One includes bringing your gym equipment into the sauna. Photos have been shared of drivers lugging their exercise bike into a steam-packed rooms to simulate Singapore, or doing a workout in as many layers of clothes as possible.

That’s just the physical training, the mental side of things is another with such a punishing climate.

The Pit Building Is There All Year Round

Being a street circuit, the track is constructed – and subsequently deconstructed – every season for the race but there are still permanent reminders all year round. One of these is the pit building and pit lane which can be visited by fans, with signage still in place from the race before and it feels like you’re stuck in time.

Race organisers have also created a ‘Singapore All Access’ experience, which returned for a second consecutive year in 2026, where interested fans were able to get a special look inside the empty garages that will be packed with F1 teams this weekend. There was also the chance to sit on the sofas in the press conference area, as well as visit the cool down room and Race Control, and all for free during the summer as the track was being constructed.

Fans have also snapped selfies cycling along the start-finish straight from their visits to the track.

Tough on the Brakes

According to brake supplier Brembo, drivers will use their brakes for 24% of the race, which is the highest amount all season. The 4.927km circuit, complete with 19 turns, has often been compared to the Monaco Grand Prix, with the tight and twisty circuit having walls close by and a low average speed as drivers navigate the complex circuit. The toughest corner on the brakes is Turn 1, which is named after Singapore’s second president, Benjamin Sheares.