This Sunday's race will be under floodlights as Singapore returns once again to Formula One with the drivers hoping to dazzle at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

The race has only featured on the F1 calendar for seven years, but as the race takes place during the dark, it has become a fan's favourite as well as the drivers too. After the late drama from Monza, Championship leader Lewis Hamilton heads to this weekends race with a 53 point lead over second place Nico Rosberg.

After the finish to the race, Hamilton's victory was under investigation due to lower than required PSI in the Mercedes' left rear tyres whilst his teammate Rosberg pulled up at the second chicane run off as his car produced flames, three laps from the finish.

The track will be slightly revised for this year's race, with the turn 11 and 12 chicane tweaked before a tighter turn 13 hairpin to create a better overtaking spot. Qualifying has always been crucial on the outcome of the race and it just shows how cautious all the drivers have to be to finish the weekend on a high.

Vettel controls in Singapore

Sebastian Vettel has tasted the most success in Singapore GP history after winning the race on three consecutive occasions between 2011 and 2013 when dominating procedures during his time at Red Bull whilst Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton are the only other drivers to have stood atop the podium at the Marina Bay Circuit. However, Alonso is unlikely to get near a podium finish this time around due to the number of problems he and McLaren have had this season. With Vettel third in the drivers championship, he could force Hamilton all the way once more.

Last Year's Outcome

Lewis Hamilton claimed his second win at Singapore last year where he won the race from pole position as Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo completing the podium. Sergio Perez of Force India impressed in last years race starting from 15th on the grid, the Mexican worked his way up to finish in P7 to get within the points. 

Track information

Number of laps: 61.

Track length: 5.065 km.

Tyre allocation: Supersoft (red) and Soft (yellow).

Lap record: Sebastian Vettel - 1:48.574 (Red Bull, 2013).

2014 pole: Lewis Hamilton - 1:45.681 (Mercedes).

Last five winners in Singapore

2014: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes); 2013: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull); 2012: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull); 2011: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull); 2010: Fernando Alonso (Ferrari).

What the drivers said

Fernando Alonso has enjoyed success on the track and is looking forward to returning to the race track where he has won before. He said that The Singapore Grand Prix is a "modern-day classic." The race hasn’t been on the calendar for long, but it’s already very prestigious. The heat makes it very demanding for the cars and the drivers, but we’re hopeful the McLaren-Honda package will perform more consistently there than in recent races.”

Lewis Hamilton described Singapore as a "great city which looks really spectacular under the lights with the tricky street circuit below." He went on to talk about concentration levels for the weekend saying: "Any small slip and you’re in the barrier, so maintaining that total concentration is crucial. I’ve won there twice now – both times from pole, which shows you how important qualifying is too."

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About the author
Liam Headd
Sports Journalism Graduate | Founder/Writer for NW Football | Contributor for VAVEL | Views are my own.