Ferrari’s German driver Sebastian Vettel is seen in the paddock ahead of the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix.

Reuters
Singpore

Quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel returns to a happy hunting ground in Singapore this week still on maximum attack for another drivers’ title.
The Ferrari driver picked up his second win of the year at the Hungarian Grand Prix in July but the dominant form of Briton Lewis Hamilton has allowed the Mercedes driver to open up a 74- point advantage over Vettel with six races remaining.
Vettel, third in the standings and 21 points behind Hamilton’s team mate Nico Rosberg, was optimistic about reducing the deficits at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, where he won three times with Red Bull and also finished second twice.
“It is always difficult to predict what is going to happen but this place has been a good place for me, very good results the last couple of years,” the 28-year-old told reporters yesterday.
“I really love the track, it is one of the most challenging events we face in the season and I think we have a strong package so hopefully we can keep this record up.
“The goal for the championship is maximum attack, we have to go for everything we can get. Obviously Nico is closer to us than to Lewis but as long as the chances are there we have to try and make anything possible that we can do.
“Being realistic Lewis is in a very good position.”
Hamilton has won seven of the year’s races, including the last two in Belgium and Italy, with Rosberg landing the other three but Vettel’s consistency—he has achieved eight podiums—has kept him in the hunt in his debut campaign with Ferrari.
“Overall we are always quick enough to go for the top five,” Vettel said.
“Our target is to be on the podium which is difficult as Mercedes have the strongest package at the moment and if nothing goes wrong they have two cars on the podium and there is not much space left, but we have been pretty good at getting our maximum and most of the time getting that last place.”
Vettel won the second race of the year in Malaysia and was optimistic that the hot and humid conditions in the nearby Southeast Asian city state of Singapore would aid his challenge on Sunday,
“Looking at the year so far every time its a bit hotter maybe we are a bit more competitive so maybe that’s a good thing,” he said before admitting experience of the track was more important.
“If the driver feels confident you are able to make the difference.”           
Meanwhile, Spain’s Fernando Alonso has urged Renault to stay in Formula One, saying the French manufacturer is an integral part of the sport’s history.
Renault are currently considering whether to buy a team or quit rather than being an engine provider to others.
The French company currently powers former champions Red Bull and sister team Toro Rosso and there are contracts with both until 2016, although Red Bull are reportedly pushing for an early release.
Renault, who have been involved in Formula One since 1977, have been in negotiations with the financially-troubled Lotus team that they previously owned under their own name.
“It’s a very big manufacturer with a lot of history behind Renault in Formula One,” Alonso, who won both his two world championships with Renault, said on Thursday ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix.
“So I think, if they stay as an official team or whatever, if they decide this is best for them, I think this is also good for Formula One.
“Renault and Formula One are quite linked together in the history of this sport, so hopefully they stay.”
Although Alonso is now with the Honda-powered McLaren team and was previously with Ferrari, the Spaniard spent six of his early seasons in Formula One driving for Renault, winning the world championship in 2005 and 2006.
Alonso has not won a title since leaving Renault, finishing runner-up on three occasions, and is currently 15th in this year’s standings, putting him on course for his worst season since he was a rookie in 2001.
He has scored points in just two of 12 races this season but remains optimistic about his chances in Singapore, a circuit where he won at in 2008 and 2010.
“(If) we try to be as professional as we can, we can have a trouble free weekend hopefully and that will put us in the points,” he said.
Alonso joked that the night-time races times in Singapore helped him because staying out late and sleeping in until the early afternoon were part of his regular routine.
“This is what I do to in the normal life, so no big change here,” he quipped.