Caution: Bumpy road ahead

Marina Bay circuit is springing one surprise after another;  the drivers are now complaining that the track is uneven.

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Grand Prix was supposed to have been tough on the drivers because of the unpredictable weather and alien conditions like racing under lights. However, the drivers got a shock of their lives when, despite bearable weather conditions and the lighting system working perfectly, taking the car around the twisty 5 km track became a Herculean task. The reason? The bumpy nature of the circuit.

“It’s much bumpier than what we have experienced before,” Renault engineering head Pat Symonds said.

The bumps meant that the underside of the cars was touching the surface as a result of which sparks were seen a few times during the race.

“The circuit is very bumpy in places, especially into turn number 7, and we have to keep an eye on that because it can become a problem,” Renault driver and double world champion Fernando Alonso remarked. Honda driver Rubens Barrichello too was concerned about the surface. “The layout of the circuit is quite good but it is very bumpy which has been the cause of the problems with our car,” the Brazilian said.

While Alonso managed to hold his own during the practice session, other drivers weren’t that lucky. After three hours of practice, Force India driver Adrian Sutil suffered from bruised legs. Sutil, who was the slowest on the track, said, “It’s a beautiful circuit. It’s a very physical track as the humidity is so high. There were also several bumps, probably more than at any other circuit, and sometimes it actually hurt when I was driving, particularly my legs as they crashed into the monocoque over some bumps. The whole race will be really hard,” he remarked.

Toyota’s Jarno Trulli, who got the worst of the new circuit, said that the race is not that exciting because of the bumpy nature of the track. He said that the team has to compromise as a result of the uneven surface. “It is quite hard to drive the car,” Trulli said in a media briefing.

He further added that the car was trying to find the best set-up for the race.
The Singapore Grand Prix is turning out to be one full of surprises. So while F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has gone all out to ensure the inaugural night Grand Prix turns into a spectacle for the Television audience, the drivers haven’t been impressed with the nature of the surface.

With some drivers also complaining of dark spots at some turns, the Singapore GP is turning out to be a race into the unknown. Something, the drivers won’t necessarily enjoy.