What Are the Best Bets for Singapore Grand Prix Weekend?
The Formula 1 roadshow will pull into Singapore this weekend. Max Verstappen holds a 59-point advantage in the World Drivers’ Championship standings and would normally arrive in the City-State in a bullish mood. However, the Dutchman has never won at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, and he is on a losing sequence of seven.
Singapore offers a stunning backdrop for this weekend’s race, where Max Verstappen needs to score some meaningful points. ©RedBullContentPool
George Russel, Lewis Hamilton (twice), Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri (twice) have all claimed a race victory since Verstappen last won. His Red Bull team must be concerned about losing its World Constructors’ Championship and Drivers’ Championship titles.
Will the notoriously tricky Singapore Grand Prix – a race that has required safety car intervention every year since it returned to the calendar in 2008 – give Verstappen and Red Bull some respite? Can Lando Norris justify favouritism by winning the race and cutting Verstappen’s championship lead significantly? Or will another driver take the spoils?
Who Is the Most Likely Singapore Grand Prix Winner?
Nine of the past 14 Singapore Grand Prix winners have started from pole position. It is a stat that is typical for a street circuit. As Lando Norris has claimed four of the last eight pole positions – and was unlucky to exit qualifying at an early stage in Azerbaijan – he appears to have the best shot of success on Sunday.
However, win markets are notoriously difficult to beat in Formula 1, and while UK bookmakers’ 7/4 quote appears generous, it does not ooze value. Based on previous race results (listed below), we believe there are better betting opportunities for the outcome of Sunday’s contest. It will be raced under floodlights, albeit conditions will be hot and humid.
Singapore Grand Prix Previous Results
| Year | Starters | Finishers | Safety Car | Pole | Winner | Started | Margin | Fastest Lap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *2008 | 20 | 15 | Yes | Massa | Alonso | 15th | 2.9sec | Raikkonen |
| 2009 | 20 | 14 | Yes | Hamilton | Hamilton | 1st | 9.6sec | Alonso |
| 2010 | 24 | 16 | Yes | Alonso | Alonso | 1st | 0.2sec | Alonso |
| 2011 | 24 | 21 | Yes | Vettel | Vettel | 1st | 1.7sec | Button |
| 2012 | 24 | 19 | Yes | Hamilton | Vettel | 3rd | 8.9sec | Hulkenberg |
| 2013 | 22 | 20 | Yes | Vettel | Vettel | 1st | 32.6sec | Vettel |
| 2014 | 22 | 17 | Yes | Hamilton | Hamilton | 1st | 13.5sec | Hamilton |
| 2015 | 20 | 15 | Yes | Vettel | Vettel | 1st | 1.4sec | Ricciardo |
| 2016 | 22 | 18 | Yes | Rosberg | Rosberg | 1st | 0.4sec | Ricciardo |
| 2017 | 20 | 12 | Yes | Vettel | Hamilton | 5th | 4.5sec | Hamilton |
| 2018 | 20 | 19 | Yes | Hamilton | Hamilton | 1st | 8.9sec | Magnussen |
| 2019 | 20 | 17 | Yes | Leclerc | Vettel | 3rd | 2.6sec | Magnussen |
| 2022 | 20 | 14 | Yes | Leclerc | Perez | 2nd | 2.5sec | Russel |
| 2023 | 20 | 15 | Yes | Sainz | Sainz | 1st | 0.8sec | Hamilton |
* The 2008 Singapore Grand Prix was the most controversial race of recent times. A year after the contest, Fernando Alonso’s teammate, Nelson Piquet Jnr, admitted he had deliberately crashed his car shortly after the Spaniard had taken a pitstop for fresh tyres. With the remainder of the field forced into taking a pit stop during the ensuing safety car period, the two-time world champion assumed the lead and never relinquished it.
Many drivers say Singapore is the toughest event of the year due to the heat, humidity and demanding track. ©MercedesF1
Fact File: Singapore Grand Prix
- Track evolution is incredibly high in Singapore, given that it is a street circuit. The surface can ramp up by three seconds between Free Practice 1 on Friday and Qualifying on Saturday evening.
- The Singapore Grand Prix is one of the most physically demanding races of the season. The intense humidity and warm temperatures, combined with the stop/start nature of the track, make it very challenging.
- Owing to a significant amount of time being spent in corners, just 50 per cent of lap time is spent at full throttle. Only Monaco and Mexico have lower amounts.
- Marina Bay is one of four circuits on the calendar to have a 60 km/h pitlane speed limit. At 25 seconds, the total pit lane time is the highest of the season.
- All 14 of the previous Singapore Grands Prix have featured at least one Safety Car deployment.
- In the last six editions there have been 11 Safety Car deployments.
What Are the Best Singapore Grand Prix Bets?
A 14-from-14 record makes the use of a safety car appear inevitable. However, that used to be the case in Monaco – a similar wall-lined street circuit – where four of the last six Monaco Grand Prix have not required the pace car’s intervention. It is only a matter of time before Singapore goes without it, and it is not worth supporting at 1/7 odds.
The stats also support the theory that Sunday’s winning margin will be relatively small. This time, the odds are attractive, and the UK’s top online bookmakers have overstepped the mark by offering 5/6 on Sunday’s race winner crossing the line less than five seconds ahead.
Kevin Magnussen is set to leave the sport at the end of the season, and he will be keen to impress this weekend – particularly as he missed last week’s race under a licence points tot-up breach. The Haas driver has recorded two ‘fastest lap’ accolades during his Formula 1 career, both of which came in the Singapore Grand Prix.
The odds compilers at the BetVictor sportsbook have overlooked Magnussen’s Singapore record and offer odds of 55/1 about the Dane taking his record to three. It also looks like a fair bet.
