We've come to the pivotal point in the season, where the championship will either close up or run away in one specific direction. The last few races would point towards the latter, but hey, we're optimistic round these parts. Singapore hasn't always been known to deliver fascinating races, but it's quite the spectacle and can usually be relied upon to entertain. With several drivers on the grid experiencing night racing for the first time, the 2013 race could be something special!

Event schedule

Fernando Alonso was a popular figure on the podium in Italy, taking home a trophy along with the Red Bull pair. Ferrari have moved into second place in the championship standings for now, but Mercedes appear to have a good car for the street circuits so they could be ready to take that place back. McLaren have also been looking just that little bit stronger of late, and a good result this weekend could boost their season before it is too late.

Meanwhile, the attention has switched from Daniel Ricciardo to Kimi Räikkönen, as the Finn was confirmed as the next Ferrari driver for 2014. There's also plenty of speculation over the leftover Lotus seat, so look for some drivers to be hoping for good results to show the eagle-eyed bosses what they can do.

Support racing for this event includes GP2 and Porsche Carrera Cup.

The weather

The weather for the entire weekend looks set to be hot, humid, cloudy in places and with the potential for storms at the drop of a hat. Naturally the later start time means temperatures won't be as high as they could be, and as the night draws on they should start to drop. That just adds to the challenge!

Circuit map

Once again the FIA are doubling up on DRS zones, as we just had the one this time last year. Now there is one that is detected after the first corner complex, and activated on the short straight that follows (longer straight with a bend in it). The second is detected before the final two corners and permitted down the long home straight.

That puts the two zones very close together, which could be a help or a hindrance. I don't recall the DRS being particularly useful last year, but when the two zones are close they can sometimes cancel each other out.

The circuit

The Marina Bay track is the standard five kilometres but it feels an awful lot longer, with 23 corners. Although it's a street circuit, the width is unusually generous, allowing overtaking on occasion - however the twisting nature of the corners can add to the field spread issue.

Top speeds are way down for the track, and combine that with the humidity, cooling can be a significant issue. Strategy tends to err towards three stops, although a jaunt through the pit lane can be a costly 20+ seconds. The race is run anti-clockwise, which can put strain on a driver's neck. The surface is also pretty bumpy which can make for some amazing photos, but some sore bodies once the race is over.

The FIA have insisted upon some resurfacing works around the track, and they have also reprofiled turn ten. Rather than the tight chicane of last year, we should be looking at a faster sweeping curve to aid the speeds in the second sector.

Tyre compounds

Pirelli have been out and about defending their tyres once again, as after facing off criticism that they were having too much of an impact on racing, they're now bombarded with complaints that it's too easy for Red Bull. Nevertheless, the attention must be on this weekend as they face one of the toughest tests for the tyres. Motorsport boss at the tyre manufacturer, Paul Hembery, explains all the little extras that Singapore has to make it a unique event.

Singapore is quite bumpy – a typical feature of street circuits – and there’s lots of street furniture such as painted white lines and manholes that compromise grip and traction. We’re racing at night, which presents a unique set of parameters for the tyres to deal with when it comes to the way that track and ambient temperatures evolve. The cars also carry the heaviest fuel load of the year, which again has a direct effect on tyre wear and degradation.

- Paul Hembery

Press conference schedule

Official press conferences are organised by the FIA and happen four times during the weekend. The qualifying and post race press conferences will take place after the television unilateral interviews.

Race stewards

The FIA stewarding process was changed recently to include a former F1 driver to offer added insight. These are the stewards overseeing this weekend's action.