Rosberg untouchable as Hamilton struggles, Red Bull and Ferrari still in the hunt, Vettel woe, advice for McLaren, and...
Monday 19 September 2016 14:19, UK
Rosberg simply untouchable under the lights
As his rivals wilted in the sweltering heat, Nico Rosberg kept his cool. That the Mercedes driver called his stonking pole position effort one of his "best three laps" is no surprise, but many would suggest this could be his greatest ever.
Lewis Hamilton was the favourite heading to the city state but in truth Rosberg has been building up to that 1:42.584 all weekend. The German has been untouchable in the Mercedes garage, perhaps helped slightly by his team-mate's mechanical failures. But while outside circumstances may have helped Rosberg in the past, it would be unjust to take anything away from him on this occasion. A half-second advantage in any qualifying session is comprehensive. That it came at one of your so-called bogey tracks is an astonishing feat.
"There are obviously things that have come into play this weekend but Nico did a great job," Hamilton admitted to Sky F1. "He's shown the full potential of the car."
It's worth considering that if the shoes were on the other foot - say Rosberg was throwing his W07 around Q3 and making mistakes with Hamilton performing like this - we may be talking about the mental fragility of a man who has yet to claim a world championship. Instead, Rosberg looks like a driver on a mission, hungrier than ever to go the distance.
Two points is currently the difference between the pair and the pendulum is sure to swing in this enthralling battle as we enter the final seven races of the season. But having come here with just one Singapore podium to his name - with Williams back in 2008 - Rosberg could well move onto Malaysia with a championship advantage.
Let the games begin
Mercedes' Paddy Lowe summed it up perfectly when he confessed "there's games to play" in Sunday's race. The Silver Arrows' miserable 2015 race may have been forgotten through their one-lap outpacing of Red Bull and Rosberg's subsequent pole, but the contrasting tyre choices from the two teams offers exciting potential.
Rosberg and Hamilton will be on the faster, but less durable, ultrasofts whereas Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen start on the supersofts, with Red Bull differing on strategy from the rest of the field in Q2. The rundown to Turn One and whether Ricciardo can get ahead of Rosberg, or indeed stay ahead of Hamilton, will be crucial, as will the length of all four cars' first stint.
Another variable that is sure to come into play, and opens up the very real possibility of a fifth car winning, are the long runs. Kimi Raikkonen appeared confident with Ferrari's race pace, especially on the soft tyre when the Scuderia expect to outlast their competitors. During the latter half of Friday's P2 session, Red Bull and Ferrari actually showed superior pace than Mercedes on Pirelli's quickest compound, too.
What remains to be seen is whether the chasing teams really can live up to their pre-weekend briefings that this is their best chance to win a race between now and end of the season. Whatever happens, the scene is set for a cracking grand prix.
Vettel and Ferrari: Another opportunity missed
Sebastian Vettel's commitment to sticking to the Ferrari line this year, most recently insisting that the season was by no means a failure, has been admirable. But during his Sky F1 interview following a Q1 exit, the patience of a man so used to success appeared to be waning.
The German's remarks on Friday that he was just a "passenger" when it comes to controlling the SF16-H's rear end was worrying, but yet another mechanical failure raises more serious questions for the Ferrari garage. Maurizio Arrivabene claimed earlier this year that the Italian outfit would be leading the championship if it were measured on misfortune but surely that can't be an excuse anymore. "It's not bad luck, it is a rear failure," bemoaned Vettel.
Last year, there were just 11 passes as Vettel converted pole into a win. He may not be celebrating so emphatically this time around but if he can take some solace; five of those overtakes were from Verstappen, who similarly started at the back of the pack.
Toro Rosso prove a point to McLaren
There have been several claims this season that Honda's engine is now more powerful than Ferrari's of 2015. If that's the case, then have Toro Rosso simply got a better 2016 car than McLaren?
At a Singapore track less dependent on outright power, both MP4-31 cars should have made it through to the final shootout, but Fernando Alonso's best Q3 effort was still no match for either Carlos Sainz or Daniil Kvyat, working with that 2015 Ferrari engine.
Eric Boullier's stance that his team have the third best chassis in Formula 1 may also need to be reconsidered on this evidence.
The battle of the Merc youngsters continues
Pascal Wehrlein has made an impressive start to qualifying life alongside a new team-mate, and fellow Mercedes protege, at Manor. He now leads his head-to-head Esteban Ocon 3-0, and the winner of this battle could be crucial with both drivers very much in the shop window for 2017.
It must be said, however, that joining a team halfway through a season is an unenviable task, one that Ocon may well take time to deal with as he vows to prove his Formula 1 credentials, while his two race finishes to Wehrlein's zero in recent weeks also stands him in good stead.
