Formula One: What to Watch in Singapore
By Dustin Smith
With seven races remaining in the Formula One schedule, things are heating up at the top of the standings. Sebastian Vettel only trails Lewis Hamilton by three points heading into Singapore. Who will be in the leader heading into Malaysia?
Formula One is Bringing the heat!
Formula One is back under the lights in Singapore this weekend. The action will be hot on the track…literally. Motorsport.com is reporting that drivers are being warned of “heat shock” for Sunday’s race. The anticipated temperatures in Singapore reaching 86 degrees Fahrenheit with 86% of humidity at the time of the race.
Consequently, not only will the temperatures be warm, the battle for the drivers championship between Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton is as close as it could get. Separated by only three points, if either Vettel or Hamilton have a slip up, it could prove to be costly.
Another key takeaway heading into the weekend is both Vettel and Hamilton have won multiple times at Singapore. It is Vettel who tops the card with four Marina Bay wins coming in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015. Vettel’s run at five straight was interrupted in 2014 by none other than Lewis Hamilton, who also took the top spot in 2009. It is also important to note that Nico Rosberg won at Singapore in 2016.
What to watch
For starters, the biggest story, which can’t be stressed enough, is the drivers championship only being separated by three points. The duo of Vettel and Hamilton combined have won six of the nine races that have taken place in Singapore. The main question of the weekend will be which driver finishes ahead of the other and takes the points lead to Malaysia.
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Uniquely, one of the hottest drivers on the circuit is last year’s Singapore runner-up, Daniel Ricciardo. The Red Bull driver is coming off a 4th place in Italy following a 3rd place finish at Spa. What better race for Red Bull to break up the Ferrari and Mercedes show than Marina Bay?
Lastly, it is time for this weekend’s underdog. The driver with the best chance of upsetting the Vettel-Hamilton party is Kimi Raikkonen. The focus is weighed heavily on the drivers championship, making this weekend prime time for a Raikkonen win. The Finnish driver finished ahead of his teammate in 2016 and could do so this weekend as well.
In a weekend where the only thing hotter than the race for the drivers championship is the actual temperature, will we see the usual Mercedes and Ferrari show? Or will we see another manufacturer break up their party with a win? Will Vettel take back the lead or will Hamilton take it with him to Malaysia? Those questions will be answered under the lights on Sunday in Singapore.
Next: Looking back at Lewis Hamilton's record 69 poles
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