Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix Betting News and Preview
With a bit of help from the rest of the Formula 1 grid and a helping of Ferrari incompetence, Max Verstappen can win the Driver’s World Championship at the Singapore Grand Prix. To prepare you for the Singapore Grand Prix, we’ll give you an overview of the Marina Bay Circuit, how Verstappen can win the World Championship, the upgrades that will impact the mid-field fight (and your betting picks), and a closing note on Williams.
The Marina Bay Circuit: A Brief Overview
The Marina Bay Street Circuit winds beneath spectator grandstands at one point and has seen changes to the track in 2009, 2013, and 2015, including the elimination of the terrible “ Singapore Sling chicane” (turn 10) in 2013. The tight and technical Marina Bay circuit has 23 turns over 3.147 mi (5.065 km), with the Grand Prix taking place over 61 laps for a total of 3.147 (308.965 km).
Unlike faster, purpose-built tracks like Monza or Silverstone, or street tracks like Baku, drivers will only be at full throttle for 49% of the lap. Due to the nature of the circuit, a safety car is highly likely as it has been dispatched in every Singapore Grand Prix since its re-debut as the original night race in 2008.
Pro-tip: find a prop bet on the deployment of the safety car.
Max Verstappen: (Almost) Two-Time World Champion
Among the major potential news for the Singapore Grand Prix is that Max Verstappen can mathematically clinch his second consecutive Driver’s World Championship. Verstappen will need help from the rest of the grid to put the distance required between himself, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, and teammate Sergio Perez to get the math to work right.
Because, spoiler alert, we’re all picking Max Verstappen to win the Singapore Grand Prix. A more interesting and valuable bet will be a prop bet on if Verstappen will break the Formula 1 single-season wins record (13). With six Grand Prix remaining, Verstappen has won eleven Grand Prix in 2022 and the last five races in a row. Verstappen will likely crush this record before the 2022 Formula 1 season concludes.
How can Verstappen win the World Championship in Singapore? Well, we are dealing with Ferrari in this equation, so there is a very real possibility we crown a World Champion on Sunday. Verstappen needs to win and finish with the fastest lap, while Leclerc needs to finish 8th or lower (ninth without the fastest lap for Verstappen), and Perez finishes lower than fourth.
Considering Perez’s declining performance as the RB-18 has gotten faster, finishing lower than fourth seems like a foregone conclusion. Any mistake from Leclerc and Ferrari in the Grand Prix could hand Verstappen the World Championship.
Yes, you’ve read that right: all hope to extend the Driver’s World Championship battle rests on Ferrari not making mistakes during the Grand Prix.
Upgrades for the Singapore Grand Prix
The well-documented and long-expected upgraded lightweight RB-18 chassis will likely make its debut and Red Bull (ok, Verstappen) faster. But as you well know, the real battle of the 2022 season has been in the midfield. Ferrari and Mercedes are in a fight for second in the Constructor’s championship, but the fiercest and closest battle is between Alpine and McLaren for fourth in the Constructor’s championship.
And Alpine and McLaren are bringing upgrades to the Singapore Grand Prix. Alpine has confirmed that both A-522s will have new, upgraded floors hoping to extend their fourth place lead over McLaren. McLaren will have a new floor and profiled side pods along with a new livery.
At least one McLaren will have the upgrades for the Singapore Grand Prix. Lando Norris is McLaren’s number one driver and will be getting the upgrades. Any hopes Daniel Ricciardo had of impressing Formula 1 team principals’ for an open seat on the grid in 2023 have been made more difficult, considering McLaren will be running him in a theoretically slower MCL-36.
One Last Note on Williams
Alex Albon will be in the car for the first day of practice after recovering from an appendectomy and anesthetic complications. Italian Grand Prix super-sub Nick de Vries has been preparing for the Singapore Grand Prix as if he is taking Albon’s seat. Williams’ have their options covered if Albon isn’t physically ready for the mentally and physically demanding Singapore Grand Prix.
The Williams is a little draggy to place a wager on either Albon or de Vries to make the top 10 in qualifying or the Grand Prix. We suggest paying attention to Friday’s free practice sessions to see how Williams and Albon do. You may find really great odds on Albon or de Vries to finish in the top 10.
The Singapore Grand Prix takes place from September 30 – October 2, 2022, from Marina Bay, Singapore.
