A guide to Singapore’s Marina Bay Street Circuit

Singapore’s place on the F1 calendar

Singapore’s first Grand Prix events took place at the now-defunct Thomson Road circuit: eight non-championship editions were held between 1966 and 1973. The country joined the official Formula 1 calendar in 2008.

Marina Bay was designed by Herman Tilke and modified by engineering company KBR Inc. The circuit uses public roads near the city’s harbour and hosts a night race.

The street surface is bumpy, and the combination of humidity and a long lap makes the circuit physically demanding. Formula 1’s guide credits Sebastian Vettel with five Singapore victories, one more than Lewis Hamilton at the time of publication. Hamilton set the listed lap record of 1:33.808 in 2025.

A tight track that rewards concentration

The circuit was changed ahead of the 2023 race, reducing its turn count from 23 to 19. The former Turns 16 to 19 section became a long straight, but Marina Bay remains a twisting street circuit with short run-off areas and walls close to the track.

Former Renault F1 driver Jolyon Palmer, quoted by Formula 1, highlighted the demands of managing low-speed corners, bumps and rear-tyre temperatures over the long lap. He also identified braking at Turn 7 and the Singapore Sling through Turns 10 and 11 as challenging points.

Palmer noted that braking and direction changes around the bridge can contribute to lock-ups, while traction demands put pressure on rear tyres. He described hydration as important during the race because of the physical strain.

Straight Mode zones

Formula 1’s guide says there are five designated Straight Mode zones at Marina Bay. These allow cars to use a lower-drag aerodynamic configuration on specified sections in dry conditions, with the front and rear wing elements adjusting together.

The guide identifies zones on the start-finish straight, between Turns 5 and 7, and between Turns 9 and 10. It also specifies a fourth zone between Turns 13 and 14; the supplied source excerpt does not provide the location of the fifth zone.