There is still everything to play for as Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton each vie for a fifth world championship.
FOX Sports Asia looks at some of the key points for discussion ahead of what could be a crucial weekend in Singapore.
Vettel under pressure
Sebastian Vettel heads into the tropical heat knowing that he needs a win to get his challenge for the driver’s title back on track. The Ferrari man simply cannot afford to finish behind Hamilton on Sunday or the Brit’s lead at the top of the standings (currently 30 points) will begin to look insurmountable.
As mentioned many times before, Vettel has the best car on the grid, but he has simply not been getting the results that he should be (just one win in his last four races). He needs to start using the tools at his disposal effectively and winning races. One way to do that will be to avoid the kind of mistakes that have cost him dearly in Germany and Italy. Avoiding any repeat of the disaster he suffered on the opening lap here last year will be the number one priority.
Leclerc in the spotlight
All eyes will be on Sauber’s 20-year old prodigy in Singapore after it was announced he will replace Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari for 2019. Although just 14 races into his Formula 1 career, the Monaco native has performed superbly at Sauber and earned himself one of the most coveted seats in the sport.
The Italians have taken a huge leap of faith in handing Leclerc a ride – he will become their youngest driver in almost fifty years. Singapore will hand race fans another chance to see him in action before he makes the switch at the end of the season. Only time will tell whether Ferrari have made the right move and their academy product can live up to the hype.
Can Hamilton do it again?
Following his latest surprise win in Monza, championship leader Lewis Hamilton will be quietly confident of repeating his unexpected success here last year, despite his Mercedes team downplaying their chances ahead of this week’s action. With Ferrari dominating in terms of speed and Red Bull possessing the most suitable chassis, the German team are quite right when they say the odds are against them in Singapore, even though they have won three of the last four editions and deep down probably harbour hopes of more success. Toto Wolff and Hamilton’s humble “we are not expecting much” strategy has paid dividends in recent weeks in Germany, Hungary and Italy. So why change a winning formula?
Red Bull need reliability
Red Bull arrive in Singapore knowing that the circuit provides one of their best chances of success on the Formula 1 calendar. The twists and turns and lack of long straights around Marina Bay suits the RB14 perfectly, as Daniel Ricciardo showed earlier in the season with victory on the streets of Monaco. The biggest obstacle to success in the city state for Christian Horner’s team, however, is more likely to be mechanical than anything to do with racing.
With four DNFs in their last four races (three of them for the unfortunate Ricciardo) and a new engine upgrade that even manufacturers Renault have labelled unreliable, the main challenge for Red Bull will likely be to get both cars to finish the race. Winning would be an added bonus
Ocon out of the game?
One consequence of the recent musical chairs among F1 drivers is that talented French youngster Esteban Ocon will likely not have a seat for 2019. Lance Stroll’s inevitable arrival at Force India means Ocon is sure to get the boot, while Daniel Ricciardo’s surprise switch to Ocon’s once rumoured next destination of Renault mean’s the 21-year old is now left in limbo. The Silver Arrows junior could still get a seat at Mercedes customer Williams, although they are said to be looking at other options. Ocon has thanked fellow drivers and fans for the concern shown about his predicament, but that will not help him to secure a ride. Will Toto Wolff and Mercedes do the decent thing and release him from his contract to ensure F1 doesn’t lose one of its most exciting prospects.
Comments