F1 is back in town for the first time in 3 years! Since then, there’s been a whole new generation of F1 cars, so in addition to Pirelli and the 20 teams needing to get back up to speed on the track action, they have a whole new set of unknowns to deal with! To help illustrate some of the differences, Pirelli has released some helpful infographics for all of us to get clued in on the demands of one of the toughest races on the F1 calendar:

The three softest compounds have been chosen for Singapore (for the first time since Austria): the P Zero White hard is the C3, the P Zero Yellow medium is the C4, and the P Zero Red soft is the C5. These compounds have been chosen to match the typical street circuit characteristics of the Marina Bay track, ensuring high levels of mechanical grip.

There’s some new asphalt laid down for Singapore this year as well. This isn’t as smooth as the asphalt usually seen on street circuits, having been put down with a view to the grand prix. However, as a street circuit, the Marina Bay circuit is used by normal road traffic most of the time – and the surface contains street furniture such as white lines and manhole covers. A high degree of track evolution is expected; also because there are not many support races scheduled, which help to lay down rubber.

With the race starting at 8pm local time (GMT +8)  and continuing for about two hours, track temperatures are generally stable for most of the race, while high humidity levels provide a big physical challenge for the drivers, the cars and also for the tyres, with thermal degradation.