2024 Singapore Grand Prix preview: timings, how to watch, and more

Hot topics ahead of the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix

McLaren’s jump to the top of the constructors’ standings after Azerbaijan marks the first time the team has been at that particular summit since 2014. Now with a 20-point lead, the priority will undoubtedly be to stay there. Piastri is the in-form driver, picking up the most points of anyone in the past seven races, while as a team McLaren is on a run of 13 consecutive podium finishes.

Contrast that with Red Bull’s recent form: two races without a podium and seven without a win. Verstappen has gone from imperious to vulnerable. Even if he is still on course to win his fourth drivers’ championship, Lando Norris is slowly chipping away at the 59-point deficit. The Brit even managed to overtake Verstappen on his way from climbing from 15^th to fourth in Baku, gaining a bonus fastest lap point in the process. Verstappen, on the other hand, could only manage fifth from a sixth-place starting position.

Considering that the Dutchman hasn’t won a grand prix since Spain in July, and Sergio Pérez last stood on the podium at the Chinese Grand Prix in April, it is no surprise Red Bull has let the constructors’ championship slip. If anonymous performances such as we saw in Baku continue from Verstappen, then this may become a serious problem for the defense of his drivers’ title.

Pérez finally produced the drive his team needed from him in Azerbaijan, until a podium finish was squandered in a collision with Carlos Sainz Jr. Prior to that, Pérez had out-performed his team-mate all weekend, but his eighth place standing in the drivers’ table shows Red Bull has been unable to rely on him the way the Norris and Piastri pairing has proved fruitful for McLaren.

Pressure now comes from Ferrari, too, as Charles Leclerc’s fourth consecutive podium, including winning the Italian Grand Prix, places the Maranello team only 31 points behind Red Bull. The reigning champions could now conceivably finish third if things continue as they are.

Mercedes, however, has dropped off the pack after a resurgent summer which delivered three wins in four races. In Baku, George Russell was lucky to inherit third after the Pérez/Sainz incident, while Lewis Hamilton climbed to ninth after starting in the pit lane, having taken a new engine – his fifth of the season. Mercedes is running a one-off livery in Singapore, celebrating the 50^th anniversary of its partner, Petronas, and the Silver Arrows will be hoping the refresh can bring with it a renewal of form.  

Elsewhere, Franco Colapinto continued to impress in just his second Formula 1 race, finishing eighth in Azerbaijan behind team-mate Alex Albon. The double-points haul for Williams means it’s now above Alpine in the constructors’ standings. Between Colapinto and Oliver Bearman, rookie performances have been strong this season, worrying perhaps for the likes of Daniel Ricciardo, who remains without a seat for 2025 as rumours regarding his future continue to swirl.

When can I watch the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix?

Action at the Marina Bay Street Circuit begins on Friday, with Free Practice 1 at 10:30 UK time (17:30 local time), followed by Free Practice 2 at 14:00 (21:00). Saturday starts off with Free Practice 3 at 10:30 (17:30) ahead of qualifying for the grand prix at 14:00 (21:00). Lights out for the Singapore Grand Prix is at 13:00 (20:00) on Sunday 22^nd September.

How to watch the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix

Sky Sports retains exclusive rights to all live coverage of F1 in the UK. Every session of the Singapore Grand Prix will be shown live and uninterrupted on Sky Sports F1.

US viewers can catch all the action on ESPN, and Australian audiences can watch on Kayo Sports. The F1 TV Pro app also provides coverage of every F1 session across the weekend to several countries the world over.

Which series are supporting in Singapore?

F1 Academy returns to action this weekend as the only supporting series, with Ella Lloyd announced as the wildcard for the event. Abbi Pulling continues to lead the drivers’ championship; she solidified a healthy 71-point lead over nearest challenger Doriane Pin by winning Race 1 in Zandvoort, while Pin took victory in Race 2.

Formula 2 will return to action in Qatar in December for the final two races of the season, while the Formula 3 season concluded in Monza, with Leonardo Fornaroli dramatically securing the drivers’ championship ahead of Gabriele Minì.

Images courtesy of Motorsport Images.