By: Unlike usual, today’s Sprint has not provided enough information ahead of tomorrow’s Grand Prix. That is because the session was hit by a rain shower which forced the drivers to contest the entire race on intermediates. The rain arrived shortly before the lights went out, causing a half-hour delay. The race was then further prolonged by Russell’s accident, followed by the stoppage of four other cars (Stroll, Perez, Hadjar and Colapinto) under the Safety Car.
All drivers opted for intermediate tyres and finished the Sprint on the same compound, although some, including Leclerc, struggled greatly with degradation over the final five or six laps. This means the drivers head into the Singapore Grand Prix with no data on the slicks. It is a complication compounded by the slight risk of further rain.
Pirelli’s strategic recommendations - Marina Bay Street Circuit - 62 laps
Before sharing our view, it is worth noting what Pirelli’s motorsport director said at the end of today: “The rain made the Sprint challenging. The drivers managed to complete the mini-race on a single set of intermediates, tyres that performed consistently throughout the race. Although the closing stages were more suited to slicks, degradation remained extremely limited and the graining episodes observed, especially on the front tyres, had no significant impact on performance. Temperature management was a key factor, particularly in the final laps.”
“Once again, it is clear that tyre management is an essential part of the car package,” added Dario Marrafuschi. “In our view, the C5 Soft is the most interesting option for the start of the Grand Prix, which could be heavily influenced by any safety cars. The Soft offers more grip and could also allow drivers to extend the first stint, perhaps while waiting for a neutralisation. For the second part of the race, the Medium and Hard offer fairly similar performance. The C4 Medium could provide an advantage in terms of grip. We feel able to rule out a two-stop strategy: in Singapore, maintaining track position is crucial given the difficulties involved in overtaking.”
Drivers thrown into the race without data - Start at 14:00 Italian time
Today, we agree with Dario Marrafuschi. In our view too, tomorrow will be a one-stop race. Despite drivers being asked to contest a race entirely in the dark, without data on the behaviour of the slick tyres, they will probably be inclined to start on the Soft, wait for a potential Safety Car, fit the Hards — of which almost all drivers have just one set remaining — and go to the end. Should there be another neutralisation, drivers could use a set of C4 Mediums, even a used set, or switch to C5 Softs if that tyre has performed well during the first stint.
On that basis, overtaking could prove very difficult, with positions likely to remain more or less unchanged after the start. However, the Sprint has already demonstrated how easy it can be to make a mistake or encounter technical problems. Therefore, maintaining concentration and staying focused, particularly on strategy, will be crucial tomorrow. There remains a slight chance of rain during the race. Among the many factors to consider, drivers will also have to be alert to that possibility.
Cover and interior photos by Peter Kiss / WHYOUT Images
All the news, photos, weather, session times and times from the Singapore GP 2026
