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DPA
Singapore
Lewis Hamilton is hoping to take another step towards his sixth Formula One world championship title in a race on the streets of Singapore expected to be more to the liking of Mercedes than rivals Ferrari.
The Italian team heads to Singapore with their tails up after Charles Leclerc won the last race at their home Italian Grand Prix in a back-to-back triumph for the 21-year-old Monegasque driver. But Hamilton still holds a comfortable 63-point lead in the drivers’ standings over team-mate Valtteri Bottas with seven races remaining and is a four-time winner in Singapore.
After the thrills of Monza, when Leclerc withstood immense pressure from the Mercedes pair, F1 teams and drivers now have to contend with the heat and humidity of the night race at the 5.063-kilometre Marina Bay Street Circuit.
An element of revenge will no doubt be in the mind of Hamilton, who felt he was forced off the track by Leclerc in Monza in a move which escaped punishment as Ferrari went on to clinch a first win at their home circuit since Fernando Alonso triumphed in 2010.
Last season in Singapore, the Briton won in a close scrap with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and another win on Sunday would be his third in a row on the track.
Both Mercedes and the Red Bulls may again be the protagonists on Sunday on a narrow and twisting circuit which will not be as much liking to the Ferraris of Leclerc and Vettel after the speed and low downforce of Monza.
Vettel, however, knows what it takes to win in Singapore, having also accrued four victories in the night race, and has something to prove after being overshadowed by his younger team-mate in both Belgium and Italy.
Vettel was the author of his own misfortunes in Monza when he span and then collided with Lance Stroll’s Racing Point on rejoining the track.
The 32-year-old four-time F1 champion, who has not won a race since the 2018 Belgian Grand Prix, was also given three penalty points, putting him three away from a race ban. “The speed is there so I am not worried. It is just a matter of putting things together,” he said after the race.
Mercedes will be keen to get back to the top of the podium with a first victory of the second half of the F1 season, but given the domination of Hamilton and the team - now 154 points clear of nearest rivals Ferrari – they could take their defeats in Italy and Belgium with grace.
“We came back from the summer break knowing that the first two races would be difficult for us,” Mercedes motorsport chief Toto Wolff said.
“We ended up with two double podiums and 67 points which was a strong form of damage limitation and more than we expected.
“However, you could tell in the debriefs that Spa and Monza left us not satisfied and everyone in [the factories at] Brixworth and Brackley is pushing hard for more victories.” Singapore used to be one of the weakest tracks for Mercedes “but we’ve made some inroads into that and performed well last year,” Wolff said.After the high speed of Monza, F1 moves to the bright lights of the Marina Bay Street Circuit for the floodlit Singapore Grand Prix. Both Mercedes and Red Bull fancy their chances, but Ferrari are confident after back-to-back wins
for Charles Leclerc
Singapore
Lewis Hamilton is hoping to take another step towards his sixth Formula One world championship title in a race on the streets of Singapore expected to be more to the liking of Mercedes than rivals Ferrari.
The Italian team heads to Singapore with their tails up after Charles Leclerc won the last race at their home Italian Grand Prix in a back-to-back triumph for the 21-year-old Monegasque driver. But Hamilton still holds a comfortable 63-point lead in the drivers’ standings over team-mate Valtteri Bottas with seven races remaining and is a four-time winner in Singapore.
After the thrills of Monza, when Leclerc withstood immense pressure from the Mercedes pair, F1 teams and drivers now have to contend with the heat and humidity of the night race at the 5.063-kilometre Marina Bay Street Circuit.
An element of revenge will no doubt be in the mind of Hamilton, who felt he was forced off the track by Leclerc in Monza in a move which escaped punishment as Ferrari went on to clinch a first win at their home circuit since Fernando Alonso triumphed in 2010.
Last season in Singapore, the Briton won in a close scrap with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and another win on Sunday would be his third in a row on the track.
Both Mercedes and the Red Bulls may again be the protagonists on Sunday on a narrow and twisting circuit which will not be as much liking to the Ferraris of Leclerc and Vettel after the speed and low downforce of Monza.
Vettel, however, knows what it takes to win in Singapore, having also accrued four victories in the night race, and has something to prove after being overshadowed by his younger team-mate in both Belgium and Italy.
Vettel was the author of his own misfortunes in Monza when he span and then collided with Lance Stroll’s Racing Point on rejoining the track.
The 32-year-old four-time F1 champion, who has not won a race since the 2018 Belgian Grand Prix, was also given three penalty points, putting him three away from a race ban. “The speed is there so I am not worried. It is just a matter of putting things together,” he said after the race.
Mercedes will be keen to get back to the top of the podium with a first victory of the second half of the F1 season, but given the domination of Hamilton and the team - now 154 points clear of nearest rivals Ferrari – they could take their defeats in Italy and Belgium with grace.
“We came back from the summer break knowing that the first two races would be difficult for us,” Mercedes motorsport chief Toto Wolff said.
“We ended up with two double podiums and 67 points which was a strong form of damage limitation and more than we expected.
“However, you could tell in the debriefs that Spa and Monza left us not satisfied and everyone in [the factories at] Brixworth and Brackley is pushing hard for more victories.” Singapore used to be one of the weakest tracks for Mercedes “but we’ve made some inroads into that and performed well last year,” Wolff said.After the high speed of Monza, F1 moves to the bright lights of the Marina Bay Street Circuit for the floodlit Singapore Grand Prix. Both Mercedes and Red Bull fancy their chances, but Ferrari are confident after back-to-back wins
for Charles Leclerc
