Singapore: pre-qualifying 2023

 

The track layout has been changed this year, cutting out a few corners to try and present an overtaking opportunity. Given this circuit almost never has passing the change is eminently understandable. They picked a poor time to do it, though, as difficulty overtaking might have given a non-Red Bull team a credible chance of victory for once.

Lots of teams have brought updates here so that may shuffle the order somewhat.

First practice has the Ferraris topping the time sheet, Leclerc under a tenth ahead of Sainz. Similar small margins marked the distances back to Verstappen, Norris, and Hamilton, then it was a tenth and a half to Russell, with Perez, Alonso, Tsunoda, and Ocon rounding out the top 10.

Second practice still had the Ferraris top but this time Sainz was the faster, by a mighty two-hundredths. Russell was two-tenths back but a tenth ahead of Alonso, with similar gaps to Norris, Perez, Verstappen, Magnussen, and Bottas.

Just about every team other than Williams had a chap in the top 10 in the first two sessions.

 

The odds on the Ferraris for pole are surprisingly tight, just 2.75 for Leclerc and 3.5 for Sainz. Verstappen’s 2.4. Given that, no bet on pole for me. If you feel confident in them, then the each way on them winning (third the odds top 2) are 7 for Leclerc and 11 for Sainz, which may well offer better value. Bear I mind if you back those, balancing stakes for even returns, the margins are thin unless one wins outright.

 

Qualifying is at 2pm UK time, the race is at 1pm.

 

Morris Dancer

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