Race Review: Singapore GP 2024

Remember the Singapore Sling Chicane that guaranteed some form of race fueled drama during the Singapore Grand Prix? Well, I'm not lying when I say that we could have done with it during this "snooze-fest" of a race in 2024, despite it being AWOL for the past decade. It's a shame that a race with great anticipation is being labeled this way, but with Lando Norris finishing twenty plus seconds ahead to second place man; Max Verstappen, it's hard not to feel a little subdued after missing out on what could have been a potential "spicy" battle in this interesting and nail biting championship.

With Norris starting on pole, alongside rival Verstappen, many were questioning as to whether the McLaren man could break his habit of "bottling" his start while on pole. Alas, he did, heading into a very clean, bar a couple of cars going wide, turn one, ahead of Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. The leading pair would quickly drop Hamilton and his Mercedes, while trading fastest laps, giving us fans the reckless optimism that we needed to believe this race was going to go down to the wire. However, Norris had pace that Verstappen did not. With some encouragement from the McLaren team he would soon leave the Red Bull for dust, quickly gapping him to over five plus seconds.

So, with the leading battle over as quick as it begun, attention turned to the mid-pack, where Daniel Ricciardo would be the first to pit on Lap 11, almost all but confirming that he was on a two stop race, which could potentially have been his last in the series, as rumours go. Could this be why he took his time to let his frustrated VCARB team mate through in the latter stages of the race while on different strategies? Doubtful.

In what has been a common theme in modern day Formula One, tyre talk was definitely on the radar at the Singapore Grand Prix. "I'm sliding around like hell," Kevin Magnussen, returning from his one race ban, would tell his Haas team. Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz would also pit early on for a change of compound. Disappointingly for Albon, his pitstop would mark the beginning of the end of his weekend, with an overheating engine marking him as the first retirement from the race.

As for his teammate; Franco Colapinto, there was nothing but praise for the young Argentine, only in his 3rd Formula One race after replacing Logan Sargeant at Williams for the remainder of the season. "He's very good. Difficult to pass Colapinto." Sergio Perez tells his Red Bull team, after once again finding himself stuck in the mid-pack behind Colapinto and his Williams. However, Albon may not have the same opinion on his teammate if this race is anything to go by, accusing him of "divebombing" at Turn One of Lap 1. Oh, we do love heat of the moment radio messages.

There seemed to be plenty of frustrated radio messages being aired up and down the field during the race. Something to keep us entertained at least. Most notably was Charles Leclerc in his Ferrari. A poor qualifying saw the Monagasque start the race in 9th, before getting stuck behind Nico Hulkenberg and Fernando Alonso throughout the majority of the early stages of race. The Marina Bay Street Circuit is difficult to pass on. Like Monaco, qualifying is crucial and could be the undoing of a perfect weekend, just as Ferrari would discover, with only late-race team orders enabling them a crucial 5th place finish for Leclerc. After Sainz's early and only pitstop, at best he managed 7th.

Regardless of the overtaking difficulty Singapore brings to the calendar, there were still several moments throughout the race that would wake me up, hooking me to the action. If you can really call it that. Take Hamilton's late move on Yuki Tsunoda which would nearly see the Mercedes driver in the wall. Or, the moments several drivers, including Norris, would find themselves brushing up against the barrier. And, what about the George Russell and Leclerc battle towards the end? The moments were there. It was just unfortunate they had no consequences on the race itself. Remember the Safety Car? We haven't seen it in over 8 races!! No wonder the majority of my Twitter feed were calling for Magnussen to park his car up on track when he received a puncture in the closing stages. Spoiler; he got back to the pits, but later retired after posting a, now deleted, fastest lap.

One driver to watch during the race was McLaren's Oscar Piastri, who won last time out in Azerbaijan. After starting in 5th, the Australian would take advantage of astounding pace McLaren seemed to have accrued in recent times. After pitting, and finding himself back behind the Mercedes duo, the youngster would have some work on his hands as he fought his way back to 3rd. But, this was Norris' race, from the moment he walked through the paddock entrance on Saturday morning. Red Bull, however, would claw back as many points as they could, interestingly using Ricciardo and their sister team to steal the fastest lap point away from Norris.

For both McLaren and Red Bull, this race was promising. Are we being too optimistic in hoping for a down to the wire championship battle in the drivers and constructors? I for one hope not.

Next up: Texas baby!

5 Talking Points from Formula E Season 10

Several weeks have passed since the thrilling finale of the 10th Season of Formula E, and there is still plenty to dissect and talk about. The season began all the way back in January 2024, with the Mexico City Eprix at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, before wrapping up in London at the end of July. It's definitely proven to have been a year full of nail biting racing and unexpected surprises that has kept every Formula E fan hot on their heels as they absorbed the excellence that was Season 10. With that being said, there have also been many interesting talking points throughout the season, some of which will surely play apart in future seasons to come. In the meantime, let's delve into a few, with 5 Talking Points from Formula E Season 10.

Pascal Wehrlein is your Season 10 World Champion

There is no denying that a World Championship win has been a long time coming for the Porsche driver; Pascal Wehrlein, who debuted in the series back in Season 5 with the Mahindra Racing team. However, before his Formula E venture, the German-Mauritian driver would show plenty of promise in other series such as DTM, where, in 2015, he would become the youngest racing driver to ever win the DTM Championship.

In the 7th season of Formula E, Wehrlein would join Porsche, achieving some impressive stats with the team between then and now. Together, as of writing, Wehrlein and Porsche have won a World Championship, as well as seven wins, 11 podiums and five pole positions. Is there any surprise, after being in the title fight for the past two seasons, that Wehrlein finally takes home the crown? He told Formula E: "Every day, every morning, every evening and every time training I believed in this – I told myself, ‘you can do this’. We executed it perfectly here from the first time we hit the track and were as strong as we’ve ever been – stronger."

With both Porsches, the other being Antonio Felix da Costa, performing to a high standard in the latter end of the season, it's pretty much a given that eyes will be placed firmly upon the team going into Season 11. Can Wehrlein make it two in a row?

Jaguar Has the Strongest Driver Line Up

Jaguar TCS Racing has firmly made their mark upon Formula E with two 2nd places and a 1st in the Constructors World Championship - the latter being achieved this season, where a new driver pairing would make them the strongest team on the grid, finishing over 30 points ahead of Porsche, who no doubt also had a strong driver line up.

Mitch Evans, who has raced for Jaguar since Season 3, and Nick Cassidy, who joined his fellow countryman for Season 10 and beyond, would score 4 poles, 4 wins, 2 fastest laps and 14 podiums between them, propelling the team to first position and their first Championship win, as well as being deep in the fight for the Drivers World Championship.

Unfortunately for the team, their hard work would come undone over the course of the Season 10 finale in London, with both drivers getting their own dose of tough luck with retirements, clashes and strategy mistakes. Regardless, like Porsche, their Season 10 performance was more than promising and is hopefully setting up another showdown into next Season. Let's just hope they can keep it all together!

Goodbye Gen3

And, continuing on the subject of new regulations, at the end of Season 10 we said a fond farewell to the current generation of car - Gen3. For Season 11, Formula E will be welcoming the Gen3 Evo cars to the grid. With Gen3 Evo, the cars will include a"new chassis package featuring a more robust front wing, new Hankook tyres aimed at providing increased grip and an active front power train to be used in qualifying, the race start and during attack mode, increasing acceleration and power output." It's exciting knowing that there are a range of brand new and innovative technical upgrades that will be making their debut as the sport continues to evolve.

The Gen3 Evo car, which is capable of 0-60MPH in less than 1.82 seconds, was first unveiled to the motorsport aficionado earlier in Season 10, and is said to"mark another huge step for the all-electric championship." For example, did you know that this lastest generation of FE car accelerates 36% faster than Gen3? That's very nearly a whole second faster! Season 11 couldn't come around faster!

Peloton Style Racing

One of the biggest talking points to come out of, not just Season 10, but out of the majority of the Gen 3 era, is the amount of "peloton style" racing we've been witnessing in numerous races. And, interestingly, Formula E fans seem to be completely divided over this form of racing. But, what is it exactly? Well, it's an effective way for drivers to preserve their energy by sitting in the slip stream of the car ahead, meaning no one wants to lead, thus the higher number of overtakes. We tend to see this format of racing at tracks were there is low usable energy or a high number of laps.

As mentioned before, drivers, teams, fans, everyone seems to have an opinion that either favours or disregards the idea of the peloton style that has become the norm. For those that like it, they enjoy the higher number of overtakes, the tactical strategies and the fact that it's unique to Formula E in the world of motorsport. For those against, it may come across as too strategic, slow, and, in some cases, slightly dangerous. Interestingly, I recently read this comment on a Reddit forum which definitely gave me something to think about: "I do however think that it needs to be toned down. We can't have it at every permanent facility we go to. If we can keep it a thing at Berlin or Portland or something, then that makes those races special, crown jewels if you will. Sort of like how Nascar has their superspeedway races in moderation." With Season 11 moving to the Gen3 Evo spec car, it'll be intriguing to see the effect that these new car regulations will have on the type of racing we have been witnessing.

Attack Mode and It's Issues

Attack mode first came to fruition in Formula E ahead of the 2018/2019 season, or Season 5, if you will. And, despite it's purpose being to give the driver an extra power boost, it doesn't always work to how the team nor driver would expect. As we already know, as long term FE fans, "The FIA and FE intend for Attack Mode to both increase overtaking, both prior to and during its activation, as well as introduce an element of strategy to each race through energy management. Indeed, drivers and teams will have to compensate for the additional energy use when in Attack Mode by running more conservatively at other times during the race, which will likely create some chaotic scenarios during an E-Prix."

Although we do, quite regularly, get the said "chaotic scenarios," Attack Mode can, at times, prove to be more a headache to teams and drivers rather than a privilege. For example, when is the right time for the driver to activate their attack mode and how many places could they lose in the process? It screams a strategical nightmare. And, not to mention missing attack mode entirely, as Mitch Evans did multiple times in London. Of course, that is more driver error than anything.

The big issue that fans talk about most on forums, such as Reddit, is tyre grip and engine power. In short, the tyres and aerodynamics do not provide enough grip for the cars that are currently more powerful than ever, making attack mode, in some cases, pretty redundant. In simple terms, Attack Mode doesn't always work as intended.

Another inciting thought from an FE fan, which gives Attack Mode a clear explanation; "Attack mode is supposed to work like a pitstop on F1. If I use it, it costs me a lot of time but I get that immediate advantage over anyone else, like new tyres in F1. Is it enough? Imo no. I think it should be 3-4 seconds a lap faster in the race. It would make the strategy of it better. It's not unfair, because everyone has it."

Again, could Gen3 Evo improve matters?

Well folks, there we have it. Formula E Season 10 comes to an end and there is plenty of thought, driver swaps and aero/techincal changes going into Season 11. It's going to be an exciting one to watch. One which I can't wait to see how it plays out!

Opinion: Carlos Sainz's Move to Williams May Be a Good One Yet

You know when you've entered the F1 Summer Break when all of a sudden it is announcements galore. And, in 2024, we haven't been left disappointed. From Esteban Ocon's move to Haas from Alpine, to Sergio Perez retaining his seat - for now, at Red Bull, to the unexpected statement coming from the Red Bull team that Sporting Director; Jonathan Wheatley, will be the new Audi Team Principal when they join the grid in 2026. However, the biggest talking point has certainly been Carlos Sainz's long awaited decision on which team he will sign with for 2025 and beyond. After plenty of discussion and rumours surrounding the Spaniard's future, an announcement came early into the Summer break that Sainz would be joining Williams on a multi-year contract, starting from 2025. For some fans this news came as a disappointment, with many commenting that a driver of Sainz's caliber deserves more than the back of the grid. But for others, a move to a team such as Williams made a little bit more sense in a world where claiming a Formula One seat can be classed as, somewhat, impossible to some. Of course, with the doors being closed at top teams such as Red Bull and Mercedes, Sainz was left with a mere few choices at the back end of the grid. All in all, it's doubtful that he has chosen Williams with his sights set on the long term. At the end of the day, he has gone with the best of what was available to him at this moment in time. As for Carlos Sainz himself, the Spaniard has reiterated on social media that his decision in choosing Williams has been the correct one, saying: "I’m 100% committed and confident that Williams is the right place for me to spend my next few years. I really believe in the project, I really believe in the progress that has been done, and from the 1st of January of 2025 I will be pushing flat-out to try and bring this team back where it belongs.”

So, why did Sainz ultimately choose Williams over the likes of Sauber/Audi and Alpine? Well, there could be plenty of reasons as to why this is, but there are a small handful of them that seemingly standout from the rest. For example, with how Sauber are currently performing, the outlook for Audi doesn't look the best, meaning it may take several years for them to gain ground on other teams. Unfortunately, this is time Sainz doesn't have if he's serious about climbing back to the top of Formula One. Simply, he needs the flexibility of being available if a top drive opens up in the next couple of years. Other reasons may include Williams' current performance and their occasional appearances in Q3 and the lower end of the points, as well as the "vision" that team principal; James Vowles, has for the team, which includes plenty of consistency, a more robust foundation and a more than clear strategy. Their first goal in this vision? Signing Carlos Sainz. But, has this been the right choice for the departing Ferrari driver?

As already established, this was one of a few mere choices that Sainz was left with. But, despite Williams not currently reaching their full potential on the grid, the move could still yet prove to be a good one, and sure enough, there are plenty of signs, pun not intended, that could indicate that this could yet pay off.

What we need to remember though, is that the likelihood of Sainz winning races and podiums in the Williams is, not unheard of, but unlikely. However, with the momentum that the team is currently showing, as it recovers from a recent overhaul of owners and bad performances over the past few years, it has a promising outlook, with the 2024 car already capable of popping up in the points every now and again, as already discussed. And, despite it (the car) being a tad overweight this season, it's a perfect opportunity for the team to rectify it's engineering and aerodynamic mistakes before the arrival of the 3x F1 Race Winner in 2025. Not forgetting, as Sainz partners Albon, in a team which is showing plenty of stability in regards to management unlike Sauber/Audi and Alpine, it's a line up that would sure make their rivals around them green with envy.

The real question is though, has Sainz made the right decision, or should he have held out longer for a possible shot at Mercedes or Red Bull? Right now, we can't answer that question. All we know is that time was surely running out for his long-awaited decision. If Vowles' vision comes to fruition, this could be the best decision the Spaniard has made in his nearly decade long F1 career. If not, he has proved that he is an F1 winner through and through. His career, in my opinion, is far from being over. These next few years could be very exciting, indeed.