Singapore Sprint set to become Grand Prix’s first competitive session in daylight

Singapore’s first daylight F1 Sprint is scheduled to start at 17:00 local time on Saturday, 10 October. RacingNews365 reports it will be the first competitive session in the Singapore Grand Prix’s history to take place in daylight; every Grand Prix there since the event began in 2008 has been run at night.

The 17:00 start leaves a four-hour gap before Grand Prix qualifying at 21:00. RacingNews365 says the interval is mandatory and that the schedule also leaves Marina Bay’s evening prime-time slot open for support-category events.

Lando Norris expects the unusual timing to make little difference to performance in Singapore. He told RacingNews365 and other selected media that temperatures there do not vary much by the hour. He contrasted that with Bahrain, where he said daytime heat and evening conditions can have a much larger effect.

Temperature is not the only setup variable. Friday’s sole practice session is in daylight, Sprint qualifying runs at night and Saturday’s Sprint is scheduled in daylight. Antonelli expects the street circuit to evolve quickly; Verstappen anticipates a little less grip and says daytime running is probably a little harder on the tyres, while Albon says sunlight changes the tyres’ response.

RacingNews365 says teams are expected to treat the daytime Sprint cautiously as a setup guide, since the sunlit asphalt is hotter and the track less rubbered-in than under the floodlights for qualifying and the race. The Grand Prix itself remains scheduled for Sunday, 11 October, at 20:00 local time, in Singapore’s traditional evening slot.