The Singapore Grand Prix track will be shorter in 2023

The Marina Bay track used to host the Singapore Grand Prix will be marginally shorter when F1 next visits in 2023, with development works in the area forcing a temporary rethink of the layout.

This will be music to the ears of those of you who aren’t that keen on street circuits: officials have run simulations and reckon a 2020 F1 car would complete a full race distance in just over 90 minutes, well short of the two-hours-plus that it took for Sergio Perez to win there a couple of weeks ago. It was wet, to be fair.

The length of a lap will fall from 5.063 to 4.928km, and you can see from the video below that turns 16 to 19 of the full circuit are being lost. Fingers crossed that the resulting flat-out section provides something Singapore desperately needs: more overtaking opportunities.

Oh and instead of the usual 61 laps, we’ll be getting 63 instead.

The development work - which will feature community sports facilities and a National Service-themed gallery, hence the name ‘NS Square’ - is set to be completed at the end of 2026, although it’s not clear yet if F1 will use this shorter circuit for the duration of the build.

Earlier this year, Singapore signed an extension to its F1 deal that guarantees its place on the calendar until 2028.

🚨 The Marina Bay Street Circuit will be updated from 2023 due to the redevelopment of The Float at Marina Bay into "NS Square". The #F1 #SingaporeGP track will be reduced to 4.928km with Turns 16 to 19 re-aligned into a straight. More info at https://t.co/b54sENWDYu pic.twitter.com/YUpqwL6MFg

— SingaporeGP (@F1NightRace) October 19, 2022