Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel says he has a “love-hate relationship” with the Singapore Grand Prix, as he aims for a third straight victory at the Marina Bay circuit this weekend.
The love comes easily for a circuit which has played a key role in the past two of his three championship victories, while the hate stems from the challenge of a two-hour race in tropical heat.
“It’s a love-hate relationship in a way, because I love the challenge, but I know it’s very hard work,” Vettel said yesterday, adding that the Singapore GP was more difficult than the similarly tight and twisty Monaco circuit.
“Singapore is more demanding because the race is longer. It’s hot, it’s humid, so it’s extremely physical,” he said.
This will be only the sixth Singapore GP, but its status as the calendar’s only night race, with big crowds, has already made an impression on Vettel.
“Formula One has not been here for long, but it already feels like a classic,” he said.
The German appears destined for a fourth straight F1 drivers’ championship, as he leads nearest rival Fernando Alonso of Ferrari by 53 points with seven races left.
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