It's now or never for Vettel in Singapore

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."

DPA