F1 drivers have welcomed the changes made to Singapore’s turn ten this weekend.
The Singapore Sling chicane, which had previously been criticised by some drivers, has been replaced with a more conventional left-hand corner, guarded by TecPro barriers on the outside.
Lewis Hamilton, who had criticised the old chicane, was among the driver who praised the new corner.
“The circuit is much improved here without the chicane and Turn 10 feels like a much nicer corner now,” said Hamilton after the first day of running on the revised track. Mercedes estimate the change to the corner has reduced lap times by 1.5 seconds.
Sebastian Vettel said the new turn is “the best solution we have with the space that’s available”.
Fellow Red Bull driver Mark Webber explained the choices and compromises at work behind the decision to change the corner:
“It’s been a difficult site for us to get right over the years. [Race director] Charlie [Whiting] is the first to admit that they’ve tried to find different scenarios to get us happy there and to get him happy with his numbers in terms of the run-off.
“The TecPro stuff is for me, I’m not… you know I’ve hit that here at turn one with a brake failure [in 2009] and it’s not… I preferred my Valencia crash, actually, compared to the TecPro stuff.
“It’s still, I believe, probably a safer corner now because if you have a failure in the old corner, and jumping those kerbs, when you’ve got a car which is on the plank, that’s not very good for us. So at least we now have an alley to go down – OK, it might be a little bit quicker, but the car will still be on the ground when it hits the barriers.”
2013 Singapore Grand Prix
- Penalty for third reprimand “disappointing” – Webber
- Di Resta still unsure over cause of Singapore crash
- Fourth Driver of the Weekend win for Vettel
- Second-lowest ever rating for Singapore Grand Prix
- 2013 Singapore Grand Prix team radio transcript
Image © Sauber
Gollum
21st September 2013, 10:17
What did Kimi have to say about it?
Haizan (@haizan)
21st September 2013, 10:22
OK
Chris (@ukphillie)
21st September 2013, 10:23
He doesn’t care. He knows what he’s doing
KaIIe (@kaiie)
21st September 2013, 10:30
It’s the same corner for everyone.
Retired (@jeff1s)
21st September 2013, 10:40
Exactly!
erix
21st September 2013, 11:15
Kimi: I’ve told you, that crash was not my fault.
Prof Kirk (@prof-kirk)
21st September 2013, 10:24
I’ve never been a supporter of Mark Webber, but I have to say, ever since he announced his retirement, he has become a much more interesting bloke with his opinion on things!
PaulT (@pault)
21st September 2013, 10:49
@prof-kirk I don’t think Webber has changed much since the announcement. He has always been vocal in his opinions, it’s just that his retirement has caused a bit more interest (and therefore more reporting) on what he has to say.
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
21st September 2013, 12:28
@prof-kirk I’ve not noticed any difference in his statements between now and a year ago, really… Maybe you’re now interested in what he says more than you used to?