McLaren plan 'no risk' approach

With the team having had their appeal against Hamilton's Spa penalty being rejected, leaving the Briton just one point in front at the top of the championship, McLaren believe that there is no benefit in taking too many gambles at this stage of the campaign.

Team boss Ron Dennis said: "We are strategic in our approach to winning the world championship for Lewis, as is he. The most important thing is to stay out of trouble.

"You have to finish the races, we want to finish all the races in the top three, and when it becomes critical to win races then we will take greater risks.

"Right now we believe we have superior wet weather performance. We anticipate rain during the remaining races, so we think one maybe two of the next races will be wet.

"We want to keep on the road here (in Singapore). This is a race where of course we want to win, but it is a race where we can afford to come second. We make no secret of the fact that we are strategically racing at the moment."

McLaren's no risk approach will also be applied when it comes to handing back any advantage that either of their drivers may get if they cut chicanes in the future.

"We have been through it endlessly with the drivers..." said Dennis. "We have got to be totally and utterly focused on strict compliance to all the regulations and that is where we will be and always are.

"We just crave consistency of application of the rules. That is all. Whatever the interpretation is - make it clear and we will make sure we will adhere to that interpretation."

Dennis also stated that the team were wasting no time reflecting on their failed appeal from Spa - which was thrown out for being inadmissible.

"We have a clear intention of moving forward from this moment," he said. "There is no point living in the past. What is done is done. We are here to win the world championship and that is what we are focused on. And we are going to make every effort to do that."