2022 Singapore GP Qualifying Update and Tips

James Punt has already penned an ante-post preview, see it here. Now though, it is time for his 2022 Singapore GP Qualifying update.

2022 Singapore GP Qualifying Preview

The final free practice session was held in wet/drying conditions which may, or may not, be a good guide as to what will happen in qualifying. There are more showers in the area so we could get another dose of rain to soak the track, or it may continue to dry.

The rain here is rarely light but with the track conditions still showing a round 28 degrees, it does dry, but does so in patches. Where there is standing water, it tends to stay for a while and you get little patches of potential doom combined with almost track tarmac.

Across the three practice sessions so far we have seen a mixed bag. All is not that clear and the wet session hasn’t helped.

Problems for Leclerc

We have nailed our colours to the Charles Leclerc mast, and it wasn’t going well yesterday. Various problems kept him in the garage for long periods and he didn’t get much track time. Verstappen was another who didn’t get as many laps in as he was hoping for.

At the end of Friday, we had Carlos Sainz fastest, Verstappen second and Leclerc third. Hamilton had been fastest in FP1 and Russell third in FP2 but come the wet conditions this morning and they were all at sea. The car doesn’t generate enough heat in the tyres and that really shows up in the wet. If it stays wet/damp, they may struggle to make Q3.

It was left to Leclerc and Verstappen to trade fastest laps but as the session went on, so Leclerc’s led grew and he ended up 0.526 ahead. The Ferrari does look to have better traction and grip and that shows up even more in the damp. I would say that wet or dry, Leclerc will be hard to shift off pole but if it got really wet, Carlos Sainz enters the frame.

New Floor

Alpine have a new floor this weekend and like all their upgrades, it is making the car better. Alonso and Ocon are very much in the hunt for best of the rest, wet or dry, qualifying or the race. McLaren have upgraded bodywork on Lando Norris’ car but so far, they have been a bit disappointing, but not necessarily going for headline times. Bottas was looking good in FP3 but both Alfas struggled in the wet. Aston Martin have been thereabouts in all sessions but better in the wet.

I am comfortable sticking with Charles Leclerc for pole and we bagged a good price at 3.25 as he goes into qualifying as the 2.20 favourite.

Rain Form

We have had had three rain affected qualifying sessions in 2022 and Verstappen has been fastest in two and second in the other, with Sainz getting pole at a wet Silverstone.

Joint second across the three is Fernando Alonso but he was only best of the rest once. Kevin Magnussen is another who has gone well in the wet and Norris did in two of them. From what we have seen so far here, Alonso looks to be best of the rest.

Lance Stroll had a collision with a wall yesterday, but he has finished top 10 in all sessions so far. It is not a highly rated driver by many, but he is a very good wet weather merchant. He doesn’t have the car to be fighting near the front, but if we get a wet session, he can threaten the third row. In the dry, over a single lap, the Aston is not at its best. It is better on multiple laps, better in the race, but generally they struggle on Saturdays. He probably needs the wet conditions.

Conditions Drier

With one hour to go before qualifying starts the conditions are much drier and there isn’t much to latch onto.

There is one qualifying match bet which does looks a bit of value. Ladbrokes have matches Bottas and Ocon, which is a bit odd. Bottas did look good in FP3, finishing seventh, one place behind Ocon. He has finished behind the Frenchman in all three sessions so far. Over the season Ocon is 11-4 up and in the second half of the season, 7-1. Why he is the 2.50 outsider of two is a mystery to me.

2022 Singapore GP Qualifying Tip: 2 points Esteban Ocon to out qualify Valtteri Bottas @ 2.50 with Ladbrokes

JamesPunt