F1 Paddock Notebook – Singapore GP Thursday

- Media day at the Marina Bay Street Circuit brought about two driver announcements for 2020. Haas started the day by announcing that it would be retaining Romain Grosjean for next season alongside Kevin Magnussen, extending the Frenchman’s stint with the team into a fifth year. Haas had been deliberating between Grosjean and Renault exile Nico Hulkenberg, but decided following the last race at Monza to continue with its existing line-up.

- “Obviously it’s great news to be with the team for a fifth consecutive season,” Grosjean said. “We’ve built this story since day one, and it feels like the story is not yet over. Obviously this year has been a challenge. It has also been a good year in terms of growing up for the team and understanding what went wrong and how we can move on in the future. I’m looking forward to many more races in black and gold for now, and under the Haas colours.”

- Haas team principal Gunther Steiner stressed the importance of continuity and stability in the decision: “Changing driver, I don’t know if it would help us to make the car better,” Steiner said. “The new guy wouldn’t know where we start off. Romain was a big part of getting the understanding of why we are wrong with the car at the moment, he was a big help.”

- Steiner said Haas did not make any offer to Hulkenberg, but this was something the German driver later countered when asked about the approach by Crash.net: “We had [an offer]. We did, of course.”

- Hulkenberg said he is “not desperate” to stay in F1 next year, stressing the need for a deal to be right and not simply a way of staying on the grid. Alfa Romeo and Williams are the only realistic landing spots for the German now, who added that he is not looking at options outside of F1 yet.

- Williams was the other team to make a driver announcement on Thursday, confirming that Robert Kubica will be leaving at the end of the year. Kubica said the decision to leave was purely his, fuelled by a wish to explore other racing possibilities. While an F1 simulator role has been mooted, Kubica added that he would be “very surprised” if he does not have a racing programme somewhere in 2020.

- Kubica was subject to praise from his fellow panellists in the FIA press conference following his remarkable comeback from injuries sustained in a rallying accident in 2011, completed this year by his return to the F1 grid. Romain Grosjean called Kubica an “inspiration”, while Lewis Hamilton – who first raced Kubica in go-karts – said the Pole was “one of the most talented drivers that I have competed against”.

- After causing laughing fits at Silverstone earlier this year in the press conference, Daniel Ricciardo was up to his old tricks again with Lando Norris, who couldn't get through his first answer without cracking up. Ricciardo said: "I gave him 10 seconds!", and continued to cause the McLaren driver to giggle and snigger throughout the press conference.

We really should've sat these two apart

This is @LandoNorris and @danielricciardo on their *absolute best* behaviour #F1 #SingaporeGP pic.twitter.com/Zin3M1sxnk

— Formula 1 (@F1) September 19, 2019

- Championship leader Hamilton will be aiming to bounce back from a two-race run without a win in Singapore, but is anticipating an open fight at the front, particularly with Red Bull, as he chases a third straight victory in Singapore. “We have not really performed that well particularly over the last couple of years [in Singapore], but we have come out with not so bad results due to other circumstances, so I hope that we fare well,” he said.

- Hamilton’s most prominent title rival, Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas, said there was a “different feeling” for him coming to Singapore this year as he is not in a support role this time around. “He is a bit far away in the points but better not to think about it too much, now focus on short-term goals, every race weekend,” Bottas said. “I’ve learned loads since last year being here. It was a tough race. I started fourth, finished fourth, so I need to be a lot better.”

- Another driver aiming to be a lot better this weekend is Sebastian Vettel, who explained that his ongoing slump is not the worst he has experienced in his F1 career. “I still love racing and I look forward to a lot of races this year to hopefully get in a better position and finish the season in the way we want, then prepare for next year,” said Vettel.

- Teammate Charles Leclerc is riding high after back-to-back wins at Spa and Monza, but said he did not buy anything or receive any gifts to celebrate. “Absolutely nothing, I am sorry to disappoint but I didn’t buy myself any gifts,” he said. “I think I have seen somewhere on the internet that I had a tattoo but I didn’t. I am just as normal as before my two race wins.”

- The haze has been a big talking point in Singapore this week as air pollution reaches high levels, but the drivers were not so concerned about it. “We all have doctors on hand. It has not been brought up as an issue but I am conscious of it,” said Hamilton. “There is not a lot we can do, we can’t have anything else particularly in our helmets so it is what it is.”

- Sergio Perez was excused from his media duties on Thursday in Singapore due to illness, but the team expects him to be fit and ready for FP1 on Friday.

- F1 announced on Thursday that Singapore Airlines would be continuing as the title sponsor for the Singapore Grand Prix to the end of the race’s existing contract in 2021.

- On-track action starts at 1630 local time in Singapore on Friday (0930 BST).