Hamilton: High-downforce F1 Singapore GP offers hope after "worst race" at Monza

Hamilton, who has won in Singapore four times, believes that his team’s high-downforce package will work well at the Marina Bay street track.

In July, he took pole position at the Hungaroring, another venue that played to the strengths of the Mercedes.

“I feel like this [Monza] might be the worst one for us,” Hamilton said after finishing sixth in the Italian Grand Prix, one place behind team-mate George Russell.

“Singapore is all high downforce and, when we put our high downforce wing on, we generally are a little bit better. Not as bad as here. So I hope I'm right.”

Team boss Toto Wolff echoed Hamilton's sentiments, saying Mercedes “have got to maximise” results from the Singapore weekend.

Meanwhile, Red Bull drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have indicated that they may have a tougher time than at other recent venues where their RB19 car has been dominant.

Verstappen, who has yet to win in Singapore, suggested that it won’t be the best circuit for Red Bull.

“A little bit more difficult, I think for us,” he said when asked about the team’s prospects.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Erik Junius

“But we'll see. We'll do our best, and of course we'll try to go in there and try to win it again. But it's not, let's say, going to be the strongest weekend for us.”

Last year’s Singapore winner Perez, known as a specialist on street tracks, also acknowledged that it might be a harder weekend for Red Bull.

“I agree with Max, I think it's going to be a weekend where basically anything can happen,” said the Mexican, whose Baku victory in April was the last for a driver other than Verstappen prior to his record-breaking run of 10 in succession.

“And hopefully we are able to have a very strong Saturday, because if you don't start on the front row, it's very unlikely that you will have a shot at the victory. So hopefully we can repeat what we did last year there.”

Aston Martin has been strong at high-downforce venues this season, but 2008 and 2010 Singapore winner Fernando Alonso downplayed the prospect of a first victory with the team.

“It will be better than Monza, for sure, in Singapore,” he said. “But to win a race? We know how tough it is, with Red Bull being outstanding every Sunday. So let's see.

“The last two street circuits, in Monaco Alpine was very strong with Esteban [Ocon] with P3 in qualifying and the race, and in Baku it was Ferrari dominating with [Charles] Leclerc on pole position, so let's see in Singapore.”