Marina Bay Street Circuit

Singapore's 2008 debut produced Formula 1's first night race. Alonso started fifteenth and stopped early; soon afterwards team mate Nelson Piquet Jr. crashed and triggered a Safety Car, helping the Spaniard's strategy and eventual victory. Nearly a year later, evidence revealed that the accident had been deliberately arranged to influence the race. Renault admitted responsibility and the episode became known as Crashgate. Marina Bay therefore carries two beginnings: the visual spectacle that opened a new era of night events and one of modern Formula 1's gravest scandals. The story must connect what spectators saw in 2008 with what the later investigation established.

Sainz kept Norris within DRS range late in Singapore, helping the McLaren resist the Mercedes cars and indirectly protecting his own lead. He won by managing the gap behind rather than simply extending it. The race used the shortened 2023 configuration, combining a revised course with an unusual tactical solution.