NEED TO KNOW: The most important facts, stats and trivia ahead of the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix

NEED TO KNOW: The most important facts, stats and trivia ahead of the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix

Just a few days on from a thrilling race in Azerbaijan, Formula 1 heads straight to the Marina Bay Street Circuit for the Singapore Grand Prix. Ahead of the event, Need to Know is your all-in-one guide with stats, trivia, insight and much more. You can also see how fans have voted using our F1 Play predictor game.

First and second practice will take place on Friday, September 20, followed by final practice and qualifying on Saturday, September 21, and the Grand Prix itself on Sunday, September 22.

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix acted as another reminder of just how competitive the battle at the front has become in 2024; with the last four rounds each being won by a different driver, it was Oscar Piastri’s turn in Baku, the McLaren man having managed to hold off the chasing Charles Leclerc to take victory.

As team mate Lando Norris recovered from a tough qualifying to take P4, McLaren have now stormed to the top of the constructors’ standings with 476 points, giving them a 20-point lead over reigning champions Red Bull.

While this was somewhat aided by Sergio Perez missing out on a potential podium following his late-race collision with Carlos Sainz – which put both drivers into the wall and out of the event – the Woking outfit continue to look stronger than their Milton Keynes rivals, who have increasingly faced issues with their once-dominant RB20.

But the battle has taken some other intriguing turns along the way to set up a fascinating picture going forwards. There has been the resurgence of Ferrari, with Leclerc still a solid third in the drivers’ standings while the Scuderia are only 31 points away from Red Bull in the constructors’.

Mercedes’ form has also proven to be an interesting factor, the Silver Arrows having seemingly fallen backwards a little in recent races after their run of victories across Austria, Great Britain and Belgium.

With such fine margins across the pack, it is all to play for in Singapore. Which team will have the upper hand this time around, and could we see further changes in the championship standings?

Leclerc again looked like the favourite in Singapore after clinching pole position, but an early pit stop allowed Vettel to undercut the Monegasque – as well as the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton – and put himself into the lead, a position he held through three Safety Cars en route to the chequered flag.

It was an emotional and long-awaited visit to the top step of the podium for Vettel, marking his first win of the season and adding to his impressive tally of five victories at the track, more than any other driver.