Lewis Hamilton gifted a miracle by Sebastian Vettel's crash in Singapore to extend title-race lead to 28 points
The “miracle” that Lewis Hamilton said he needed to win the Singapore Grand Prix was presented to him at the very first corner, all gleaming, gift-wrapped and tied up with a red Ferrari ribbon. Of all the novel ways by which he imagined he might vault from fifth on the grid to first at the finish, few were as fancifully fortunate as watching Sebastian Vettel, his main title rival, fall off his Prancing Horse inside 300 yards. Rarely can Hamilton, fond of invoking the Almighty at these moments, have been so tempted to believe in divine intervention.
“Great strategy, guys,” Hamilton told his garage, dutifully, after profiting from Vettel’s opening-lap crash to win his third straight grand prix and assume a 28-point championship lead with six races left. Truth be told, there was no strategy, or at least nothing like the one Mercedes envisaged. Once Hamilton had emerged with the lead through a cloud of sparks and cartwheeling debris, as Vettel took out team-mate Kimi Raikkonen and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in one fell swoop, his only priority – as race engineer Pete Bonnington put it – was to bring the car home in one piece.
Never in the 10 years of this glittering night race has Singapore seen the chain reaction of chaos that unfolded here in the first minute. Vettel, whose mastery of Marina Bay had been showcased by a wondrous pole lap, darted to his left to cut off a charging Verstappen, only to destroy Raikkonen’s car in the process. He made it through a couple more corners, but the radiator damage was irreparable. His Ferrari span into a wall, lost its nose cone, then rolled apologetically backwards past the oncoming traffic. It was an apt metaphor for the retrograde motion of his title challenge.
The blame game was instant and ferocious. “Verstappen took #Kimi7 out and then he went to #Seb5,” Ferrari tweeted. Well, not quite. The blame rested largely with Vettel, who was inexplicably reckless in trying to shut off Verstappen, a figure of no significance in the larger battle he was waging with Hamilton. Christian Horner, Red Bull’s team principal, was incredulous at the suggestion his driver was at fault. “How the hell you can work that out, I’ve no idea,” he said. “Sebastian came aggressively left, Kimi went right, Max held a straight line. He was just desperately unlucky.”
With Verstappen the meat in a Ferrari sandwich, Hamilton took his chance with gusto. Knowing he needed to hold off his pursuers for 61 laps, through over 1,400 corners on this notoriously hard-braking layout, he did not blink. A race where he had been intending merely to minimise the points gap to Vettel ended in him becoming just the second driver, after Michael Schumacher, to record 60 victories. On an evening where he had expected to be in arrears to the German, he instead surged 28 points clear. A duel of endless ebbs and flows has, thanks to his hat-trick of wins since the summer break, switched decisively in his favour.
“It’s working, the approach that I have,” Hamilton said. “It’s a perfect balance of being aggressive but cautious. My 60th win – it’s hard to believe. I was going into the race trying to limit the loss. If I had still been sitting behind Kimi after Turn One, I would have been fifth. To come out in completely the other direction is a shock. We were lucky with the conditions, but we capitalised.”
Hamilton had been relieved to see a hard tropical rain start falling during the grid-walk. On this complex, winding Singapore track, the weather represented about his only hope of threatening the pole-sitter. That was until the lights went out, and Vettel committed his act of self-sabotage. He received no sanction from the stewards, but he had already received the worst possible penalty, tossing away 25 points in a race where he should have prevailed at a canter. “Yeah, not ideal is it?” he said, with some understatement. “I saw Max and then next thing I knew, Kimi was hitting the side of me.”
Hamilton claimed, justifiably, that he felt his most complete as a driver. Since F1’s midsummer hiatus, he has looked unassailable, save for a Singapore qualifying session in which he could not extract the best from his Mercedes, which had struggled on high-downforce tracks. Here, he did not have to be at his best, needing to adopt the tactics of containment rather than all-out attack. Fleetingly it seemed as if Daniel Ricciardo, in a Red Bull that has been ominously quick on these streets, might reel him in, but ultimately Hamilton won with plenty in reserve.
It was no small feat, controlling a Formula One field despite sopping humidity and multiple safety-car deployments, but he managed it with aplomb. Better still for Mercedes, Valtteri Bottas also steered a path through the maelstrom to secure third, ensuring that the team eclipsed Ferrari by the margin of 40 points to zero. “I can only imagine how bad it feels for them,” said head of motorsport Toto Wolff, looking not in the least sorry.
If you sense any danger of Hamilton easing off the throttle over the closing races, starting in Sepang in a fortnight’s time, think again. “I’m not playing any games,” he said. “I’m super-focused, concentrating on eliminating any mistakes. This race couldn’t have been a better scenario.”
Ricciardo, in second, was as impressive as ever with a seventh podium in 10 grands prix, even if Red Bull were worried that the Australian’s gearbox was about to malfunction halfway through. Race by race, he is cementing his standing as a world champion-in-waiting.
Still, the night belonged to Hamilton. As he rounded the final bend, a vast collection of fireworks exploded off the tops of the grandstands, lighting up the marina and its signature ferris wheel. It was a stirring display, even if nothing could quite rival the first-lap pyrotechnics that turned this engrossing title fight around.
Someone is happy
Never lose faith!!! ������������ #P1 #SingaporeGP #TeamLH @mercedesamg
A post shared by Lewis Hamilton (@lewishamilton) on Sep 17, 2017 at 7:49am PDT
Mercedes musings
Toto Wolff on the Ferrari collision: "I wouldn't be happy and we had the situation in the past so I can imagine how terrible they feel."
Lap 1 collision
The Ferrari driver's are on their way to the Stewards to discuss that incident.
I wonder if Charlie Whiting has seen their tweet...
Congratulations lads
Sainz, Palmer and Vandoorne had their highest ever finishes in 4th, 6th and 7th.
Those championship tables
A confident statement from the winner
"As soon as it rained, I knew where I was going to finish. With it raining, those are my conditions."
How they finished
Singapore Sunday
It could be said that the race was similar to the fireworks we have just seen. Started brightly, but fizzled out somewhat.
That said, there is a lot to talk about; particularly if you drive a red car.
Official classification
INITIAL CLASSIFICATION (END OF RACE): The perfect race for @LewisHamilton �� #SingaporeGP ���� #F1pic.twitter.com/61aogM2dS4
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 17, 2017
We finally got rain in Singapore!
He did say he needed a miracle...
������������ @LewisHamilton#F1NightRacepic.twitter.com/2R9u2MQk3y
— Mercedes-AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) September 17, 2017
Your top three
What a day!
Hamilton wins ahead of Daniel Ricciardo, Valtteri Bottas, Carlos Sainz, Sergio Perez, Jolyon Palmer, Stoffel Vandoorne, Lance Stroll, Romain Grosjean and Esteban Ocon.
Felipe Massa and Pascal Wehrlein bring up the rear.
LEWIS HAMILTON WINS THE SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX
The Mercedes driver extends his lead to 28 points over Sebastian Vettel.
Last lap as Hamilton crosses the line with 4s left of the two hours
It looks like we will only have a procession to the end, with no one close enough to move up a place...
The rules state you have to complete a whole lap after the two hours is up so this is Lap 58.
Lap 56 / less than 1 min left
It doesn't look like we are going to get any more challenges as we wait for Hamilton to cross the line to define what will be the last lap.
Lap 55 / 3 mins left
Hamilton has extended his lead over the Red Bull to 4.4s and there is still a battle going on behind the top three. Perez is trying to gain on Sainz, while the wily Massa has not given up closing the gap on Ocon on P10
Lap 52 / 7 mins left
Magnussen has been told to slow down and it looks like he will be out 8th retirement. Massa must be looking at Ocon and that P10 with less than a second between them.
Hamilton leads Ricciardo, Bottas, Sainz, Perez, Palmer, Vandoorne, Stroll, Grosjean, Ocon, Massa and Wehrlein.
Lap 50 / 12 mins left
Hamilton must be counting down the minutes after managing to avoid all of that Lap 1 drama and seeing his rival end the day extra early.
Hulkenberg has retired and it's a huge shame after looking like he may have been fighting for a podium at one point.
Ferrari's take on the incident
Lap 47 / 17 mins left
Hamilton is having some tactical disagreements with his team. They want him to push the pack together in case of another safety car, but he said it's too uncomfortable to drive that way.
They eventually concede that he can set the pace.
Lap 46 / 19 mins left
Hamilton leads Ricciardo, Bottas, Sainz, Perez, Palmer, Vandoorne, Stroll, Grosjean and Hulkenberg.
Ocon is in P11 with Massa, Magnussen and Wehrlein behind him.
DRS is now available as the weather has improved significantly.
Lap 44 / 23 mins left
Hamilton has backed the pack up, understandably. Sainz is doing his best to hold onto P4 with pressure from Perez.
It is extremely tight, with 6.1s between P1 and P5.
The suggestion is that we will have 55 laps after our latest visit from he safety car.
Lap 42 of 61 / 26 mins left
The safety car is heading at the end of this lap.
We are basing the rest of the race on time now as opposed to laps as we have the two-hour race limit.
Kimi is being ridiculously diplomatic right now
"I don't know [whose fault it was]. There are always different views but I don't think I could've done anyhing different to avoid it."
Verstappen finally speaks
Max is clear that it is Vettel's fault: " I think Seb starting squeezing me, maybe he didn’t see Kimi on the left but I don’t think he should take those risks. I tried to back out but the rear tyres are wider than the front."
He also suggests that the only positive is that they were all out of the race and not just him.
You can't really argue with him...
Lap 39 of 61
Hamilton is not a happy bunny as he looks like he's going for a Sunday afternoon drive with his arms slung over the steering wheel, as he suggests it could've been dealt with by a virtual safety car.
Hulkenberg is in the pits and he has been there for a while, there is definitely a problem. He drops down into P10.
Lap 37 of 61
Sainz has been told that he may have a battery issue, but he politely encourages his mechanic to remain quiet.
If Hamilton does win he will have a 28 point lead on Vettel with six races left after this. Although we still have a way to go yet.
We have the Sauber of Ericsson spinning on the bridge and the yellow flags are out. We'll probably have a safety car.
Most importantly, he is fine.
Lap 35 of 61
Ocon takes P11 from Magnussen as the Force India driver looks to get into the points - he actually went down the outside.
Teams are suggesting it will go to 59 laps - due to the two hour race time limit - and the slicks expected to last for 30 laps, and that could work perfectly for the leader.
Not what you would expect
FASTEST SECTORS: It's all kicking off down the field in the battle for top ten positions ⏱️#SingaporeGP#F1NightRace ���� pic.twitter.com/Egi56sgPuc
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 17, 2017
Lap 33 of 61
Palmer is giving it his all after finding out online that he has lost his Renault seat for next year to Sainz. He's into P7.
Hamilton has a 8.407 lead over Ricciardo - this could be the perfect day for the Mercedes driver.
Perez is battling Sainz for P5, while Hulkenberg is not settling for P4 as he sets the fastest lap - he is less than 2s behind third placed Bottas.
Lap 31 of 61
Palmer is in P2. This is not a test!
Hamilton comes in for a pit in with a 39.642s lead over his compatriot. A nice 2.5s stop and he regains his lead.
He's at the front ahead of Ricciardo, Bottas, Hulkenberg and Sainz.
Perez sits in P6 and is followed by Palmer, Vandoorne, Stroll and Magnussen.
Grosjean, Ocon, Massa, Ericsson and Wehrlein bring up the rear.
It's a pit stop party.
Sainz and Vandoorne are in first for theirs, followed by Grosjean and Ocon. Ericsson next.
Hamilton is staying on his inters.
Magnussen goes past his teammate Grosjean into P10 and those crucial points.
Ricciardo in. What will Mercedes do now? Bottas is in next.
Lap 28 of 61
Hamilton has a 6.6s lead on Ricciardo and no one else looks tempted to pit for the slicks.
Stroll is the latest guy to pit as Massa tells the team that the purple boots are the right ones.
It is likely to be a timed race so we will complete at two hours as we won't make the 61 laps before then.
Magnussen has just set the fastest first sector time.
Lap 25 of 61
Magnussen has grabbed the bull by the horns and told his team he wants the slick/dry tyres. Will it be the right move?
Massa does the same and here's part two of the drama. It has been a little quiet for a while, hasn't it...
Weather update
So we're not expecting more rain but several drivers have said the wet bits are still 'too wet' for the slick tyres.
Raikkonen has appeared and I can't wait to hear his thoughts on that opening lap.
Lap 23 of 61
Vandoorne goes past Stroll into P8 as the teenager locks up. You have to wonder where Alonso would be if he hadn't got caught up in that first lap mess.
It's a very unfamiliar looking top ten at the moment.
Hamilton leads Ricciardo, Bottas, Sainz, Hulkenberg, Perez, Palmer, Vandoorne, Stroll and Grosjean.
Magnussen is in P11 ahead of Ocon, Ericsson, Massa and Wehrlein.
Lap 20 of 61
So, we've got 15 cars still out on track.
Hamilton is still on his original inters, despite those around him changing their set. He sets the fastest lap for 2:01.100 and has a lead of 3.504 over Ricciardo.
Lap 18 of 61
Magnussen gets past Massa and they touch wheels. Then Massa takes the lead back, while Ocon tries to take advantage of the situation. then the Haas regains his lead
They aren't even fighting for points, but everyone is battling today.
Hamilton is getting annoyed about the tyre situation and the fact that Ricciardo is on fresher boots. The Red Bull is only 2.9s behind him.
A word from Vettel
On crashing out: "It's not ideal is it. I don't know [what happened], I didn't see that much. I saw Max and then I saw Kimi hitting the side of me.
"It's how this business is and it doesn't change much because we're not in the race and [obviously] it's a pity.
Lap 15 of 61
Ricciardo is teasing the Red Bull fans as he pushes his nose ahead of Hamilton's car, but he can't overtake behind the safety car which is coming in this lap.
Hamilton leads Ricciardo, Bottas, Sainz, Hulkenberg, Perez, Palmer, Stroll, Vandoorne and Massa.
Grosjean is P11, then it is Ocon, Magnussen, Wehrlein and Ericsson.
Lap 14 of 61
Vandoorne and Massa having a battle behind the safety car after both pitting. The McLaren got out first but they do touch wheels. It's nothing but handbags to be honest.
Hamilton on radio
"Has everyone changed tyres but me? I'm not sure that was a good idea."
We will soon find out...
Lap 13 of 61
Hamilton stays out and he leads Hulkenberg, Ricciardo, Palmer, Bottas, Vandoorne, Sainz, Perez, Stroll and Massa.
Grosjean is P11, ahead of Ocon, Ericsson, Wehrlein and Magnussen.
Ricciardo and Perez pitted back on inters. Ocon and Magnussen go from wets to inters.
Another safety car
Kvyat is out. He's locks up and goes into the wall after passing Magnussen.
He's okay and apologises to the team.
Ricciardo is the first driver to pit and keeps the inters.
Lap 11 of 61
Sainz moves up to P8 after going past Ocon. The inters are still the best tyres to be on based on that.
Vettel has changed into his casualwear and has just been seen heading to face the stewards.
Lap 10 of 61
Alonso retires which is no surprise when you look at the state of his car.
Major damage to ALO's car ��@McLarenF1 have lost all data ��#SingaporeGP ���� #F1pic.twitter.com/kEpmYY5qbG
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 17, 2017
Lap 8 of 61
Stroll and Massa go past Alonso and the McLaren team has no data after his car was caught in the early collision. He's still racing but how long will his car last.
Hamilton and Ricciardo are just pulling away from the pack with 11s between first and third.
Lap 5 of 61
We're racing again and Palmer is into P5 after overtaking Bottas.
It is still very wet out there.
Hamilton leads Ricciardo, Hulkenberg, Perez, Palmer, Bottas, Vandoorne, Ocon, Sainz and Magnussen
Lap 4 of 61
Vettel actually kept going after the collision before he spun out - it looked like he hit some fluid.
The incident will be investigated after the race.
Lap 3 of 61
Watching the replay, you have to feel devastated for Verstappen. He was the meat in the Ferrari sandwich and he had absolutely nowhere to go.
He understandably does not look happy. Hamilton on the other hand, may be smiling under that helmet.
Lap 2 of 61
The cars are coming through the pit lane as they clear the track.
Alonso is technically still in the race but his car is leaking fluid.
Hamilton leads Ricciardo, Hulkenberg, Perez and Bottas.
Palmer is up in P6, followed by Vandoorne, Ocon, Sainz and Magnussen.
Then it's Kvyat, Alonso, Stroll, Massa, Grosjean, Ericsson and Wehrlein.
Safety Car is out.
Well, we knew there would be drama.
Verstappen got a great start and Raikkonen comes up on his left. As he tries to go around the Red Bull the two Ferraris crash into each other.
Hamilton now leads from Ricciardo, Hulkenberg, Perez and Bottas.
LIGHTS OUT
We are off!
Verstappen crashes as he gets caught between the two Ferraris. Alonso is out as are Vettel and Raikkonen.
We have a safety car! And it's a mess
Driver feedback
Raikkonen: "A lot of spray."
Grosjean: "Visibility is terrible."
Formation lap
The top six are on inters but Raikkonen is questioning the decision. We will see if he is right...
Tyre info
If it’s classified as a wet race, then teams no longer have to use at least two slick compounds during the grand prix @F1NightRace
— Pirelli Motorsport (@pirellisport) September 17, 2017
Your starting grid
1 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Ferrari 1min 39.491secs
2 Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1:39.814,
3 Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Red Bull 1:39.840
4 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 1:40.069
5 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1:40.126
6 Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Mercedes GP 1:40.810
7 Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Renault 1:41.013
8 Fernando Alonso (Spa) McLaren 1:41.179
9 Stoffel Vandoorne (Bel) McLaren 1:41.398
10 Carlos Sainz (Spa) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:42.056
11 Jolyon Palmer (Gbr) Renault 1:42.107
12 Sergio Perez (Mex) Force India 1:42.246
13 Daniil Kvyat (Rus) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:42.338
14 Esteban Ocon (Fra) Force India 1:42.760
15 Romain Grosjean (Fra) Haas F1 1:43.883
16 Kevin Magnussen (Den) Haas F1 1:43.756
17 Felipe Massa (Bra) Williams 1:44.014
18 Lance Stroll (Can) Williams 1:44.728
19 Pascal Wehrlein (Ger) Sauber-Ferrari 1:45.059
20 Marcus Ericsson (Swe) Sauber-Ferrari 1:45.570
NOTE: Ericsson receive a five-place grid penalty for a gearbox change.
Keeps it interesting
Intermediate or wet tyres?
About to start @F1NightRace and it’s raining. All those carefully constructed strategies can now be thrown out of the window. #F1
— Pirelli Motorsport (@pirellisport) September 17, 2017
Expecting 35 minutes of rain
We've never had rain during the race in Singapore and we may have a standing start.
You have to say that this is probably not what Vettel wants. We know Verstappen loves the wet and it may give the Mercedes confidence that they can get nearer to the Ferrari.
Nearly there
Everyone takes a moment to listen to the national anthem, which is very beautiful.
Some of the driver's had umbrellas and some didn't but the information is that the rain is here to stay.
☔️ @LewisHamilton and @ValtteriBottas right now... pic.twitter.com/NjKIwCo2g3
— Mercedes-AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) September 17, 2017
15 minutes until lights out
We're not sure if we will have rain, but I sense (hope) we could have some serious drama today.
There's enough time to go and get your snacks and get comfortable before we see if Vettel can win for the fifth time in Singapore.
Alain Prost
The four-time champion is now a special advisor to Renault, and he was discussing Jolyon Palmer: "At the moment it is speculation. But the best for the team is having two drivers performing.
"It is obvious we have a problem with Jolyon performing not good sometimes."
And now..
Cue the lightning ��#SingaporeGP ���� #F1pic.twitter.com/QD0uPu5YNa
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 17, 2017
The weather
Apparently, the rain is expected to be intermittent. I take that to mean the annoying type of rain where you spend an hour putting your umbrella up and down.
The tyre situation
Here is what everyone is working with today.
Finally we can see the available shoes ������ for tonite gala #F1#SingaporeGPpic.twitter.com/1QMYbIKFti
— Pirelli Motorsport (@pirellisport) September 17, 2017
30 minutes until lights out
The pit lane is open, the cars are moving and we are all praying for more rain.
How they will line up today
1 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Ferrari 1min 39.491secs
2 Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1:39.814,
3 Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Red Bull 1:39.840
4 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 1:40.069
5 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1:40.126
6 Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Mercedes GP 1:40.810
7 Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Renault 1:41.013
8 Fernando Alonso (Spa) McLaren 1:41.179
9 Stoffel Vandoorne (Bel) McLaren 1:41.398
10 Carlos Sainz (Spa) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:42.056
11 Jolyon Palmer (Gbr) Renault 1:42.107
12 Sergio Perez (Mex) Force India 1:42.246
13 Daniil Kvyat (Rus) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:42.338
14 Esteban Ocon (Fra) Force India 1:42.760
15 Romain Grosjean (Fra) Haas F1 1:43.883
16 Kevin Magnussen (Den) Haas F1 1:43.756
17 Felipe Massa (Bra) Williams 1:44.014
18 Lance Stroll (Can) Williams 1:44.728
19 Pascal Wehrlein (Ger) Sauber-Ferrari 1:45.059
20 Marcus Ericsson (Swe) Sauber-Ferrari 1:45.570
NOTE: Ericsson received a five-place grid penalty for a gearbox change.
40 minutes until lights out
Hopefully you are nice and dry unlike the crowds in Singapore. The prediction is that the rain will stop at about 12:45pm (BST) with the race due to start 15 minutes later.
Depending on the amount we get over the next half and hour, that could mean a wet track rather than a damp one.
Here is that Vettel pole
The Climax to an extraordinary qualifying session...
Sebastian Vettel was on ��#SingaporeGP#F1pic.twitter.com/ugBG5mgWME— Formula 1 (@F1) September 16, 2017
Umbrella's at the ready
It's raining again!
The Marina Bay circuit - some info
It is F1's tenth visit to teh street circuit and there will be a few more with the contract being extended to 2021.
It will be 61 laps around the 5.065km track.
Ricciardo currently holds the lap record of 1:47.187 which he set last year.
Vettel has the most win in Singapore, with four. Alonso and Hamilton are next with two victories each. The other winner was Nico Rosberg on his way to the championship last year.
Of the nine races, seven have been won by the man that started on pole...
Track Parade
Most of the driver's look relaxed as they go around the track in some beautiful vintage cars.
Hamilton admits that he would be happy to see more rain. Something I sensed when I saw this earlier...
So... about that rain dance we did! #SingaporeGP ���� #F1pic.twitter.com/N30BRwYpGq
— Mercedes-AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) September 17, 2017
Here is how they stand after Monza
Some pre-race reading
There has been quite a bit going on during the last few days. Here are some of the headlines:
McLaren confirm Honda divorce and sign three-year Renault deal
The weather
As it often does at the Marina Bay circuit it has been raining for most of the day, but it has cleared up for the time being. Although there is a 40% chance of us getting some more.
It would definitely create an interesting race if we did have rain as the track is not known for its ease of overtaking.
Triple F1 birthday celebrations
Two former Champions and possibly one future Champ celebrate their birthdays today and there has been a lot of love for the trio on social media.
��️ Happy Birthday �� �� to two great ���� British @F1 drivers, Sir Stirling Moss and @HillF1 �� �� pic.twitter.com/AqGNtGBYp9
— PA Sport (@pasport) September 17, 2017
#HappyBirthday, @OconEsteban!!
2️⃣1️⃣ today!! ������
While he looks �� in pink, we reckon he carries the silver look pretty well too... �� pic.twitter.com/eyrMv0TNmQ— Mercedes-AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) September 17, 2017
Some Sunday morning news
It has just been confirmed that Sergio Perez will remain with Force India for the 2018 season.
Some Vettel magic on Saturday
Sebastian Vettel pulled it out of the bag yesterday to grab pole ahead of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo, who had been leading the way all weekend.
Here's how they will line up today:
1 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Ferrari 1min 39.491secs
2 Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1:39.814,
3 Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Red Bull 1:39.840
4 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 1:40.069
5 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1:40.126
6 Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Mercedes GP 1:40.810
7 Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Renault 1:41.013
8 Fernando Alonso (Spa) McLaren 1:41.179
9 Stoffel Vandoorne (Bel) McLaren 1:41.398
10 Carlos Sainz (Spa) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:42.056
11 Jolyon Palmer (Gbr) Renault 1:42.107
12 Sergio Perez (Mex) Force India 1:42.246
13 Daniil Kvyat (Rus) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:42.338
14 Esteban Ocon (Fra) Force India 1:42.760
15 Romain Grosjean (Fra) Haas F1 1:43.883
16 Kevin Magnussen (Den) Haas F1 1:43.756
17 Felipe Massa (Bra) Williams 1:44.014
18 Lance Stroll (Can) Williams 1:44.728
19 Pascal Wehrlein (Ger) Sauber-Ferrari 1:45.059
20 Marcus Ericsson (Swe) Sauber-Ferrari 1:45.570
NOTE: Ericsson received a five-place grid penalty for a gearbox change.
It's race day!
Good afternoon and welcome.
It's race 14 of the season and Formula One is in Singapore.
What time does it start, what TV channel is it on and what are the odds?
What is it?
The 2017 Singapore Grand Prix is the fourteenth race of the 2017 FIA Formula One World Championship, and will take place at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, a track which straddles Marina Bay harbour in Singapore.
When is it?
The actual race is today, so Sunday, September 17.
What time does the race start?
The race starts at 20:00 local time (13:00 BST).
What TV channel is it on?
Coverage of the race starts at 11:30 BST on Sky Sports F1, and at 12:00 BST on Channel 4. Alternatively, you can follow all the action here throughout the weekend.
What are the current standings?
What happened last year?
Mercedes' Nico Roberg won the 2016 Singapore Grand Prix in his final year as an F1 driver, starting on pole and leading throughout. He held off a late challenge from Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo to win the race by less than half a second.
What happened in qualifying?
Sebastian Vettel was just as fortunate as he was brave on his way to a stunning pole position in qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix.
The Ferrari driver vaulted to the top of the timesheets in the close-run session’s final phase before then putting it all on the line to go even faster with a sensational lap in its dying stages.
Vettel touched the barriers on that lap, he later revealed, saying he felt lucky to get away with it.
“I brushed the wall quite severely out of turn 19,” the German said. “It was actually a hit.
“It was fine until I approached the last corner, I had huge vibration. Thankfully there was only one corner left but I really pushed as hard as I could.”
The effort that went into that lap was apparent as Vettel let out an adrenaline-fuelled whoop on the team radio and he was initially breathless as he answered questions on the main straight immediately after getting out of his car.
“I was very relieved when I crossed the line,” he said later. “I looked at the screens behind and I waited for the call. I think right now I’m starting to cool off.”
The pole is Vettel’s fourth in Singapore and the 49th of his career. It is also his third this season.
As it turned out the 30-year-old German did not ultimately need to risk all, as his provisional fastest would have been good enough for the top spot.
However, with the track ramping up in grip and the Red Bull duo of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo - who had topped every session, including the opening two phases of qualifying --in hot pursuit, he could not bet on it.
Vettel’s championship rival Lewis Hamilton, three points ahead in the overall standings, qualified his Mercedes only fifth.
What are the drivers saying?
After consecutive wins at the last two Grands Prix in France and Italy, current Drivers' Championship leader, Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, said that "the learning from [the last two Grands Prix] should collectively put [Mercedes] in a better position for Singapore but I think still Ferrari are going to be quick there."
The Briton added that he himself is going to Singapore "with a positive approach expecting to fight for the win", but "if [he and Mercedes] can't win, then [he and Mercedes] will take it at face value and damage limitation."
Sebsatian Vettel described the loss of his Drivers' Championship lead at the Italian Grand Prix earlier this month as a "bad day", but said "there is a long way to go" and emphasized that "[he and Ferrari] are developing [their] car and what's coming makes me quite positive."
What are the odds?
Sebastian Vettel 5/4
Lewis Hamilton 33/20
Daniel Ricciardo 7/1
Max Verstappen 8/1
Valtteri Bottas 8/1
Kimi Räikkönen 8/1
What's our prediction?
Lewis Hamilton's recent admission that "Ferrari are going to be quick [in Singapore]" speaks volumes. Hamilton's Mercedes car sometimes struggles on tight, congested circuits; in contrast, Ferrari have excelled on similarly traffic-heavy circuits in Monaco and Hungary. The meadering Marina Bay track is full of slow 90-degree left and right-handers, which should suit the Red Bull cars of Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen. But Ferarri's Sebsatian Vettel is the clear favourite, having won comfortably in four of the last six Singapore Grands Prix.
Podium prediction: Vettel to win, with Hamilton second and Ricciardo third.