Setting the scene for Singapore

There's a real knack to the Singapore Grand Prix. Formula 1 personnel are used to darting from time zone to time zone, but only here must they live their lives adhering to a clock that is entirely at odds with their surroundings. European time governs the paddock, meaning a bedtime more inkeeping with a party lifestyle than working for a grand prix team and breakfast at midday.

With everything six hours out of kilter with the rotation of the earth, it takes quite some discipline not to slip into bad habits. Unusually, in Singapore that can mean early to bed and early to rise, which is a sure-fire recipe for disaster. As Paul di Resta put it "the best thing is not to stay in your room - get out because if you stay in your room you fall asleep."

It's a fair point, for the body tends to have a fairly good idea that it's actually 3am when you are trying to tell it that it's dinner time. But that's the challenge that everyone faces in Singapore, not only the drivers - who must be able to perform at their peak at 9pm - but also the mechanics, whose performance during pitstops can prove critical come Sunday afternoon...sorry, night.

It all happens at night in Singapore © sutton-images.com

As for the danger of falling asleep, you would think to listen to some talk that all interest in F1 will dissolve as soon as Sebastian Vettel clinches the world championship. He could take the title with a win on Sunday, and theoretically could do so even if he has second. Vettel himself inevitably refused to create a rod for his and Red Bull's own backs by downplaying this title talk, although knowing him he would be delighted to pocket the title with five races to spare.

"We just have to remind ourselves what the target was going into the season," he said. "It was not to win the championship in Singapore, it was to win the championship itself."

But it would be a huge mistake to think that the foregone conclusion of Vettel clinching the world championship in the next few races is the sole talking point. As Michael Schumacher showed during the Italian Grand Prix, there is an abundance of spectacular racing completely incidental to the title fight.

His defence against Lewis Hamilton remained a talking point in the Singapore paddock on Thursday, with the 2008 world champion admitting that he was "just keeping my mouth shut" in Italy to avoid creating some unwanted headlines. He proved to be less reticent today and made it clear that he was not impressed by what Schumacher got away with, comparing his penalty for weaving in Malaysia while scrapping with Fernando Alonso to what happened at Monza.

"In Malaysia, I wasn't blocking," he said. "Rules say you are only allowed to make on manoeuvre when defending. I wasn't defending, I was just trying to break the tow. But Michael was defending so it was a little bit of a different situation, but it has not been clarified. Constantly they are saying you are only allowed to do one manoeuvre."

He has a point, even though you can argue that Schumacher's defending was on the edge, but just within the bounds, of what is acceptable. Vettel could certainly see where Hamilton was coming from, although he did give Schumacher the get-out clause of not being able to see the McLaren driver attacking him at Curva Grande.

Hamilton spoke more freely than at Monza © sutton-images.com

"It's very easy for us to understand Hamilton's frustration," he said. "If you are behind, know that you can go quicker and you're stuck because you are short on ratios and the other car is very quick on the straights, you can't really get past.

"I saw the race and one move was arguably a little too much. I don't know if Michael saw him or not, but out of the first chicane, when Lewis tried to go on the inside, it looked like Michael didn't see him so he had to go on the grass."

Of course, Hamilton has to go easy on a fellow driver who might not have seen him attacking. For this is the same fate that befell him when he drove into Kamui Kobayashi at Spa. Either way, it's clear that next time Hamilton and Schumacher are on track together, there will be plenty of needle whether it's for first, fourth or 14th.

And that is a sub-plot that is thoroughly engaging regardless of the championship situation. And that's the beauty of grand prix racing in itself. Every race, every battle, is its own prize and anyone who thinks the post-title races will be an anticlimax probably needs to be watching a different sport.