Verstappen, Hamilton, Antonelli & Co.: Singapore – the toughest race of 2026

As a general rule for the 22 Formula 1 drivers, the more challenging a circuit, the better. That’s why the Marina Bay Circuit in Singapore ranks very highly on the list, as high ambient temperatures and extremely high humidity take their toll on the drivers, not to mention the fact that they can hardly afford to take a breather on this challenging street circuit.

What is often overlooked is that Singapore is the toughest circuit on the brakes, as confirmed by the Italian manufacturer Brembo, which has been active in the premier class since 1975. Brembo supplies all eleven teams with brake components.

There have been 16 editions of the Singapore Grand Prix to date: the first two, in 2008 and 2009, were also the first Grands Prix in the history of Formula 1 to be held under artificial lighting.

The layout of the Marina Bay Street Circuit has changed three times since 2008, with the number of corners reduced from the original 23 to the current 19 and the length shortened by 140 metres.

According to engineers at the Brembo Group, who work closely with all Formula 1 drivers, the 4,940-metre-long Marina Bay Street Circuit falls into the category of tracks that place very high demands on the brakes.

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On a scale of 1 to 5, it has a difficulty rating of 5, as the brakes are used 11 times per lap for a total of 21.6 seconds: drivers use the brakes for 24 per cent of the race, the highest figure in the entire Formula 1 World Championship. Six braking zones are classified as ‘hard’, one as ‘medium’ and only four as ‘light’.

According to Brembo’s simulations, the most challenging corner on the Marina Bay Street Circuit for the braking system is the first one, named after Benjamin Sheares, a former President of Singapore: Formula 1 drivers approach it at nearly 300 km/h and brake down to 144 km/h in just 1.9 seconds, covering 107 metres in the process. The force required on the brake pedal is 110 kilograms.

Compared with the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix, the demands on drivers and brakes are lower due to the characteristics of the new 2026 Formula 1 cars. At Turn 7 (Memorial Corner), drivers were subjected to a deceleration of 4.9 g a year ago and applied a force of as much as 151 kg to the brake pedal, whilst these figures are now expected to be 3.8 g and 107 kg. Braking distances will also increase, from 96 metres to 117 metres, as will braking time, from 1.90 seconds to 2.15 seconds, although the loss of speed will be less.

The last four editions of the Singapore Grand Prix have been won by four different teams, but always with Brembo brake calipers: Sergio Pérez for Red Bull Racing in 2022, Carlos Sainz for Ferrari in 2023, Lando Norris for McLaren in 2024 and George Russell for Mercedes in 2025.