F1 | Mercedes, Hamilton on the Marina Bay weekend: "It will be tough, I expect the Red Bulls to be very strong"

There was also one of the protagonists of the Thursday press conference at Marina Bay, which opened the Singapore Grand Prix weekend Lewis Hamilton.

An appointment which according to the Englishman from Mercedes, record holder of successes in Singapore (4) like Sebastian Vettel, could bring difficulties: "It will be tough here, there is always a battle even if the forces change from year to year. I expect the Red Bulls to be very strong. I don't know how fast the Ferraris will be".

Hamilton also discussed Robert Kubica's end-of-season farewell: “I've known him longer than others, we started karting together and he's one of the most talented I've competed against. Talent never disappears, his strength and determination after the accident are remarkable (Andora Rally 2011, ed.). No one has experienced the same thing and it was nice to have him back with us. I hope he can stay in Formula One with a competitive team".

In addition to the pitfalls represented by a technical track like that of Marina Bay, the pilots will have to deal with the pollution issue: "During the race you realize if you breathe carbon – Hamilton admitted -. I don't know if this will have any effect on us. This is the situation and we cannot leave anything to chance".

On the permanence of the historical circuits in the world championship calendar: “We need to maintain matches like in Italy and England. It's sad to lose Germany, but it's also nice to put down roots to increase the catchment area of ​​this sport".

Piero Ladisa

Follow @PieroLadisa