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S’pore could be pivotal in Rosberg-Hamilton feud

SINGAPORE — In the days leading to yesterday’s practice session, the Mercedes pair played the part of team-mates to a T.

Hamilton during practice yesterday on the Marina Bay Street Circuit. Both he and Mercedes team-mate Rosberg are favourites to claim the front row in qualifying tonight. Photo: WEE TECK HIAN

Hamilton during practice yesterday on the Marina Bay Street Circuit. Both he and Mercedes team-mate Rosberg are favourites to claim the front row in qualifying tonight. Photo: WEE TECK HIAN

SINGAPORE — In the days leading to yesterday’s practice session, the Mercedes pair played the part of team-mates to a T.

Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton smiled and said the right things, as sportsmen playing for the same side are supposed to. But then, they were at the team sponsors’ events and the mutual cordiality was part of the script in honouring what their Mercedes contracts require of them.

When all the commercial commitments were done for the week, it was a different story at the paddock yesterday. They were no longer a pair and reported for work separately.

Hamilton first showed up and passed security in the late afternoon, head down as if in deep thought, before hurrying almost unnoticed to the Mercedes motor home.

A little while later, the scene was of Rosberg fending off attention from photographers as he slipped into the team garage.

Gone were the smiles and chirpy mood of previous years for the once good friends from their karting days. Who can blame them?

The Mercedes drivers are locked in mortal combat and, with six races remaining in the season, are the only ones left with a realistic chance of lifting the drivers’ championship this year.

Rosberg leads rival Hamilton by 26 points and arrived here earlier this week for tomorrow’s Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix, knowing full well the race here could dramatically alter the course of the championship battle.

The tight and twisty 5.073km circuit is the toughest in the calendar and since the 2008 inaugural night race, the safety car has featured consistently because of crashes.

But neither Rosberg nor Hamilton can afford to get into any trouble that will put them out of the race here, because it may just turn the title campaign into a downwards spiral.

In terms of ability, little separates the two and although the more experienced 2009 Singapore Grand Prix winner Hamilton has a slight edge in form, Pirelli motorsports director Paul Hembery was cautious on making any predictions.

Said the Briton: “I am British and back Hamilton, but Nico has had a number of good races and leading the championship. However, Hamilton has put in good performances in the last few races. It is a pretty tough call between them in the race.”

With the Mercedes pair favourites to claim the front row in qualifying tonight, the worst possible outcome for the German garage is if both come together as early as the first turn.

There will be no tears shed for either rival if this comes at the expense of the other, as whatever friendship they had died in Monaco in May and is now in tatters.

In qualifying in Monte Carlo, Rosberg parked his car at a crucial stage of the circuit to claim pole and race. It halted Hamilton’s four-race winning streak and allowed the German to take over the championship lead.

The tension between them has since been simmering and is on the edge of boiling over, especially with the end of the season in sight.

Adding a twist to their bitter fight is the clampdown by world motorsports governing body FIA on engineers at the pit wall monitoring and giving their respective drivers assistance by radio.

They are strictly enforcing a rule that has been in existence for 20 years and for the first time in their careers, the duo are on their own for the night race here.

It means the drivers won’t be told by engineers not to let another driver pass or to overtake or not to do so.

What this means is that an all-out war beckons without the team in any position to control or snuff it.

It has prompted three-time world champion Jackie Stewart to call on the Mercedes team to issue the riot act on their battling combatants.

Said the Scot: “This is a difficult race track with a lot of corners and not easy to pass. There is no competition to Mercedes and Hamilton and Rosberg are the only two drivers who will be fighting for fastest for the entire weekend. I think it is going to e a good race, but if the Mercedes management don’t step in, the race could easily end in tears for them because you don’t have the runoff areas in Singapore.”

When it comes to temperament, Rosberg has better tolerance of the bumpy street track in Singapore. He was the only driver who readily gave it the thumbs up the first time Formula One raced here in 2008 and went on to take second place in a Williams car, behind race winner Fernando Alonso, but ahead of Hamilton, who was then in a McLaren seat.

Noted for his aggression and disregarding data engineers feed him, Hamilton drives by instinct and although it has often paid dividends, it has equally punished him, just as it did here in 2010 when he crashed the barriers and was forced to retire.

In terms of paying the Marina Bay Street Circuit due homage, Rosberg has the edge over Hamilton in Singapore. But it is a race too close to call and if neither Mercedes driver crashes out, it will be a breathtaking two-hour race.

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