Hamilton calls for a longer straight to improve overtaking at Marina Bay

After finishing second in the rain-affected Singapore Sprint, Lewis Hamilton called for changes to Marina Bay to create more opportunities for overtaking.

He suggested creating a longer straight somewhere on the circuit. Hamilton described Marina Bay as a great track for a single qualifying lap, but said there was nowhere to get close enough to attempt a pass.

Hamilton said the rain made the Sprint exciting. On the opening lap, he climbed from sixth to third by passing both McLarens and his team-mate Charles Leclerc. Had it been dry, he predicted, the race would probably have been the most boring to watch, with straightforward tyre management and drivers following one another.

Max Verstappen also questioned the choice of Sprint venues: he said F1 should not hold a Sprint at a circuit where passing is not possible, and that Overtake Mode offers little on Marina Bay’s straights. Charles Leclerc argued against Sprints on city circuits in general, favouring tracks where overtaking is easier and more racing action is possible.