Hamilton wilting under the heat, but will stay cool under pressure

SINGAPORE — Three-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is clearly feeling the heat in Singapore — the Mercedes driver moaned repeatedly about the 32°C weather at the Hugo Boss meet-and-greet session poolside yesterday at the Ritz Carlton Millenia Singapore.

“How do Singaporeans do it? It’s so hot here!” joked the 32-year-old as he took to the stage at the private event yesterday. Decked out in weather-appropriate denim cut-offs and high-tops accessorised with a flashy gold chain, the British superstar may be sweating under his designer gear in Singapore, but he is keeping ice cool as the title race heats up here at this weekend’s 2017 Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix.

With Ferrari’s four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel just three points adrift of current leader Hamilton, the Mercedes speedster will be watching his rear mirror for his German arch-rival, who is the most successful driver here with four race wins, as the race flags off at the Marina Bay street circuit on Sunday.

“It’s definitely a good thing (coming in as championship leader)— it’s been a whole year of chasing them,” said Hamilton, a two-time Singapore winner, in 2009 and 2014. “But even though I’m in that position, it doesn’t mean I have it, so I’ve got to keep working. It’s exciting and it’s pretty cool that we’re now in the lead, (we want to) try to stay there.”

“It’s been a good race for me for many years. It’s good to be here, the weather’s always incredible, I hope it stays this way — I’m dying already!”

After winning back-to-back races at Spa-Francorchamps and Monza, Hamilton may have leapfrogged Vettel in the points race, but the Briton — who lost the world title race to former team-mate Nico Rosberg last season — acknowledged that Singapore’s twisty, 23-corner track will favour Red Bull and Ferrari, particularly with the Ferrari SF70H doing well on high downforce circuits in Monaco and Hungary.

Hamilton added: “Every year’s different. Last year we just didn’t have the pace so there were some things in my set-up that I wasn’t able to do. Red Bull will be fast this weekend so it won’t be the easiest of weekends possibly.

“I just prepare myself the best way I can ... providing we put together a good set-up and drive the way I’ve been driving, we should be in a good place. If we can get the car comfy like the past two races, we’ll definitely be strong in the fight.”

While the title race may be focused on Hamilton and Vettel, Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas is also eyeing his shot at his first race win here in Singapore, and a first world championship title.

So far, the 28-year-old Finn has finished on the podium nine times this season, winning races in Russia and Austria, and is currently third in the drivers’ standings on 197 points with seven races left on the 2017 calendar.

Bottas, who received a vote of confidence from Mercedes this week after signing a one-year contract extension for 2018, said yesterday: “It’s definitely possible (for a win) ... every single race I go to is always a chance for the win, and that makes a big difference to how you approach the weekend. So there’s always a possibility and I do everything I can to try and get another win.

“There are still seven races to go, that’s a lot, a long season ahead, so I tend to go race by race, not think about too much. I just want to collect as many points as possible and hopefully that will take me far.”