Ferrari arrives at the street circuit for the Singapore Grand Prix carrying high hopes of fighting near the front. Lewis Hamilton made it clear that both he and team mate Charles Leclerc are "here to attack" throughout the weekend.
Hamilton rolls into town following a determined fightback drive in Malaysia. A mistimed tyre strategy on a wet track initially dropped the seven-time World Champion towards the back of the pack, forcing him to claw his way back to a podium finish. That performance marked Hamilton's first trip to the rostrum since the British Grand Prix in July. Even so, the Briton was quick to temper expectations during Thursday's media sessions, noting that a single strong result does not automatically signal that Ferrari has returned to winning ways.
"It's not that we come here with momentum, we've had one good race last weekend and we'll try and build on that," Hamilton stated. He pointed out the unique hurdles of the event, adding that the Sprint weekend format transforms the venue into the most demanding stop on the calendar. "We're just going over the numbers and trying to make sure we start in the right place."
According to Hamilton, his ongoing work pushing the machine in a specific direction is slowly yielding gains and improvements. Emphasizing that qualifying is key, he noted that starting on the right foot would pave the way to attack when it counts. Looking at the machinery, Hamilton expressed hope that the venue's layout might play to their strengths. Because the venue features high drag and lacks long straights, he believes the advantage rivals usually hold on straightaways will shrink, allowing Ferrari to match them through the corners.
Meanwhile, team mate Leclerc took a more cautious stance on the team's prospects. He acknowledged that while the squad has historically performed well at the venue, past success offers no guarantees. Leclerc also pointed out a worrying recent trend, suggesting that Ferrari has slipped in the performance pecking order as McLaren and Red Bull have moved in to challenge Mercedes for the upper hand. Concluding his assessment, Leclerc admitted that securing a victory will prove very difficult.
