Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel will be hoping to steal the limelight from Mercedes and race to his first win of the season this weekend, as Formula One heads to Singapore for the only night race on the calendar
Singapore: Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel will be hoping to steal the limelight from Mercedes and race to his first win of the season this weekend, as Formula One heads to Singapore for the only night race on the calendar.
The reigning world champion has endured a trying season and has failed to stand on the top step of the podium so far this year, a far cry from the dominant form that saw him race to a record-equaling 13 victories on his way to a fourth-straight title last year.
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Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel speaks with his personal trainer Antii Kontsas prior to the Italian Grand Prix on September 7. PIC/Getty Images
But, he has been the man in form around the streets of Singapore and, having won the last three races held here, has the best record of any of the current crop of drivers at the Marina Bay circuit.
“I think on paper it could be a better race for us,” Vettel told reporters in the Singapore paddock.
“Naturally here there are more corners than straights and historically we’ve been quite competitive here so could be a better chance, but then again I’m not a crystal ball, so as I said it could be a good weekend but we have to wait and see.”
A spectacular and glamorous event held under dazzlingly bright floodlights against a backdrop of skyscrapers alive with twinkling lights, the race is run around a tight and twisty track made up of public roads that run through the heart of the coastal city-state.
The layout with its narrow streets, tight corners and an absence of straights should negate at least some of the advantage of the formidable Mercedes power unit and allow Red Bull to at least get within striking distance of the two Silver Arrows, giving Vettel a shot at the win.
Red Bull have already won three races so far this year, usually when the feuding Mercedes pair of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg has tripped up, and are the only outfit to have beaten the German marque in a season dominated by the Silver Arrows.
But all those wins have come courtesy of new boy Daniel Ricciardo, who has firmly put Vettel in the shade in his first season at the energy drinks company’s senior team.
As a result, despite his team-mate’s past form, the ever-smiling Aussie cannot be ruled out of contention for his fourth win of the season if Red Bull are in the mix.
“If I’m to make a prediction I think we’ll be the second best team out of the box tomorrow,” said Ricciardo, an outside contender for the title who will match Rosberg’s haul of victories so far this season if he wins on Sunday.
“The question is how close we can get to Mercedes. If we can be within a couple of tenths, I think that will be a good result.
“That will mean we can race with them on Sunday. That’s my prediction, so all going well we should be on the podium.”
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