2016 Singapore GP talking points

Mercedes' biggest test yet?
That Mercedes have once again highlighted the threat of their closest, yet ever so distant rivals of Ferrari and Red Bull should be no surprise, but the exception in this pre-race briefing is that in Singapore, there really is reason to believe that the runaway leaders won't have it their own way.

Merc 'not favourites' in Singapore

Not only did Red Bull set the pace at this season's only other somewhat similar street circuit in Monaco, but Mercedes' 2015 woes are still fresh in the memory. Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg fell behind both Red Bulls and Ferraris in a mystifying slump last year, the only dramatic blip in a near-perfect season.

Somehow, the Silver Arrows have improved again in 2016 but still, Rosberg describes this as "a Red Bull track" while Paddy Lowe admits: "A lot of work has been done during the intervening 12 months to understand why that was". 

Yes, Mercedes are confident of finding said solution - but this could be the best chance, and possibly even the last time this season for Red Bull and Ferrari to interrupt the title showdown. Couple that with the fact that two elite drivers in Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel are still without a victory in a troubled campaign, and we could be in for a cracker. While the Australian is eager to banish his Monaco memories, Vettel needs a repeat of last year's comfortable evening under the lights more than ever.

The heat is on.

Can Rosberg end his Singapore slump?
Not only does Rosberg head to Singapore wondering, like the rest of his team, if Mercedes have solved the problems which left them off the pace in 2015 in Singapore, but knowing it's a track where he hasn't always performed.

The German has stood on the Marina Bay podium just once - back at the inaugural race in 2008 where he finished second for Williams.

Since then his best result is only fourth and even the all-conquering Mercedes couldn't help him in 2014, when after qualifying second a wiring loom fault saw him left on the grid when the rest of the field started the formation.

"It's a race that's been up and down for me," admits Rosberg. "I got my second ever podium there way back in 2008 but haven't been up there again since, so the target is to change that on Sunday."

The momentum is with Rosberg after back to back wins at Spa and Monza, but those were power dependant tracks which played to Mercedes' strengths. He can expect a tougher challenge from the likes of Red Bull, and his two-time Singapore GP-winning team-mate this weekend.

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Hotting up in midfield
In another season dominated by Mercedes, plenty will be hoping that this weekend can perhaps bring some fresh faces atop the podium.

Last year's race in Singapore was the last time any other car was victorious when a Mercedes finished the race - as Vettel won and Rosberg finished fourth (while Hamilton retired).

F1 Report: 'Singapore levels playing field'

But will the streets circuit level the playing field this time around? Sky F1's Marc Priestley seems to think it could. "Singapore gives opportunities to everybody, so it's not about the team that has the best engine," he told this week's F1 Report. "That's why the advantage of Mercedes is negated a little bit.

"It gives the midfield teams like Force India and McLaren an opportunity. If they don't make any mistakes, they have a really good opportunity to start knocking on the door of the top four, maybe even a podium.

"It's tough, because it should be Mercedes, Red Bull or Ferrari at the top, but they have a chance here and I think that's exciting for fans."

Toro Rosso's last chance for points
After regular points in the first half of the season, it has been a difficult couple of races for Toro Rosso since F1 returned from its summer break.

With a year-old Ferrari unit in the rear of their car the team may have a reliable engine, but are not allowed to develop it. It is therefore essentially the engine Ferrari had at the 2015 Abu Dhabi GP.

The progress the other teams have made during the intervening months was abundantly clear at the power dependant Spa and Monza, leaving Toro Rosso barely breaking into the top 15.

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Forthcoming races in Japan, Malaysia and Mexico will all place an emphasis on the power unit, but Singapore's Marina Bay Circuit is more about the chassis and traction.

Therefore this race could prove to be Toro Rosso's last chance to score points as they battle McLaren for sixth in the Constructors' Championship.

Manor target Renault
It is a sign of the major leap forward Manor have made in 2016 that they are publicly stating their aim of finishing ahead of Renault in the Constructors' Championship.

Having spent last year running around off the pace at the back of the field, the team finally had a budget to develop a new car for this season which, coupled with the Mercedes power unit, has seen them become a much more formidable force.

Finishing ahead of a manufacturer-backed outfit would be massive feat for the team - and not one that is not out of the question.

For both teams their best chance of further points is likely to come in a dramatic with a number of retirements - something conceivable at the forthcoming races on the streets of Singapore or Malaysia and Japan, where the weather can have an impact.