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SINGAPORE: Singapore will host the world's first Formula One city night race at the end of this month. But the entire race track will be lit up as if it was daylight.
With F1 cars whizzing by at speeds of up to 300 kilometres per hour on what are essentially just city streets, fans can expect some spills and thrills.
The excitement begins from the start at the pit straight where drivers line up for a 61-lap race on a track that is just over 5 kilometres and has 23 turns.
From Turns 2 to Turns 4, spectators will get to see the power of an F1 car as top drivers overtake and establish their leads.
But if it is speed fans are after, they have to wait till Turn 6.
The fastest corner on any street circuit ever, Turn 6 is where cars could go faster than 300 kilometres an hour.
Spills could be likely at Turn 7 - one of the best overtaking opportunities - as cars slow down to take a sharp left.
If it is the best seats fans are after, they should try the Grandstands at Turn 8.
Here, cars will whizz by heritage buildings like the old Supreme Court and the colonial Anderson Bridge, creating a backdrop similar to Monaco's Casino Square.
Spectators would have to agree that the bridge will definitely be one of the most unique features of the Singapore F1 track.
But from a technical perspective, it will also be challenging for the drivers. Only the left side of the bridge will be used, and at 8-metre wide, will be the narrowest part of the circuit.
The difficulty does not end there. After crossing the bridge, the cars will approach Turn 13, which is the tightest turn on the circuit.
There will be more excitement at Turns 8 and 14 - where it may look like cars are going to crash into one another, because of the way the circuit is designed - slower cars come down one way and faster cars go up the other in an unusual two turns.
Cars will then whizz past Raffles Avenue, where there will be another overtaking opportunity before reaching the Bayfront where a wrong move could possibly land a driver into hot water.
Water is not the only concern for the drivers, as this is also the slowest part of the track, working the brakes hard and really testing the drivers' skills.
After running along the waterfront in front of the Bay Grandstand, the cars actually turn beneath the grandstand itself at Turn 18 - another aspect of the track that sets it apart from the rest.
After that, a few more turns and the cars will be back at the Pit Building for a thrilling end to the race.
- CNA/ir
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