Hot and bothered: Formula One drivers feel the heat at Singapore’s Marina Bay Street Circuit

It’s humid, it’s tight and it has little history. But Formula One racers love it. Despite being only eight years old on the Formula One calendar, Singapore’s Marina Bay Street Circuit has quickly become one of the most talked about and beloved tracks among the drivers.

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestonelabelled the race the “crown jewel of F1” at its inception in 2008 and since then, most drivers have agreed. McLaren’s 2009 world champion Jenson Button, for example, hailed the circuit “one of the wonders of modern sport” in 2013. Triple world champion Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari said that although the track has not been around for a long time, it “feels like a classic”.

There are several reasons behind their affection for the Singapore race, but a key factor is the tightness of the circuit.

Drivers have to go close to the walls at several spots and the adrenalin of navigating without crashing gives many an unparalleled rush.

“I’m a racer, so going so close to the walls, especially after the white bridge, gives me goosebumps,” says Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo, referring to the famous Anderson Bridge, which is part of the circuit. The track also has 23 corners, six more than the average Formula One circuit.

For most drivers, completing the Singapore race requires an average of about 4,800 gear changes. This is significantly higher than at Silverstone in Britain, with 2,000 changes, and Sepang in Malaysia, with 3,100.

The tightness of the track has led to some complaints that it does not allow for overtaking moves. But the organisers say this is inaccurate. “When compared to the rest of the Formula 1 circuits in terms of the number of overtaking opportunities, the Marina Bay Street Circuit is ranked 11th on average for the past five years,” says Jonathan Hallett, director of Singapore GP.