Singapore - It's now or never for Sebastian Vettel and his
Ferrari team on Sunday at the Singapore Grand Prix in the Formula One
title fight with Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton.
At no other of the seven remaining venues is Ferrari considered
such a big favourite over Mercedes as on the 5.065 kilometre Marina
Bay street circuit where the drivers will race under floodlights.
Vettel certainly has fond memories of Singapore as he is a record
four-times winner here, with 2017 victor Hamilton on three top
spots. But he and the Scuderia must deliver after the home race meltdown in
Monza where Vettel and team-mate Kimi Raikkonen locked out the front
row of the grid but Hamilton then won - after first-lap contact with
Vettel who had to fight from behind and settle for fourth.
Despite Raikkonen's runner-up finish the outcome was a massive
disappointment for Ferrari while at the same time it boosted
Mercedes' morale. Hamilton is now 30 points clear of Vettel which is more than the 25
points for a race win - but Vettel is far from throwing in the
towel.
"There are many points to win back now in the championship, but we
still have time to improve and we have the margin to recover," he
said. "I know what has to be done. I am concentrating on Singapore. I like
the place."
'Predictions are almost meaningless'
Mercedes motorsport chief Toto Wolff is meanwhile cautiously
optimistic that his team of Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas can get the
better of the Ferraris.
"On paper, the track should favour the Ferraris, but the championship
fight is so close that predictions are almost meaningless," he said. "Last year, we started the race from the third row - and came home
with a win and a third."
To spice things up, Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo
also like their chances on the twisting, bumpy Singapore course.
Ricciardo said: "I've had four podiums and three second places in a row there, so
it's about time I win the damn thing," and Verstappen added: "I think the whole team is looking forward to
Singapore because we know we have a real chance to have a good result
there. We should be able to challenge for a podium this year."
Sky-high confidence
But Hamilton remains the man to beat, and his confidence is
sky-high after getting a sixth season win in Ferrari-land where he
showed again that - unlike Vettel - he is hardly making any mistakes.
"I generally think that this year I've been quite consistent in my
delivery." he said. "I really been happy with what I've been able to extract
from the car."
The weekend will also show whether Vettel is affected in any way by
the news that his friend Raikkonen will be leaving Ferrari after the
season and hungry youngster Charles Leclerc will be his new team-mate
from 2019 onwards.
Raikkonen showed with his Monza pole that he remains competitive, and
the last world champion for Ferrari, in 2007, may want to prove his
point in the final races for the Scuderia.
"I am not expecting anything," Vettel said. "I am driving my race. I think I was
never gifted anything in life."