F1 2019, Singapore GP: 5 Predictions for the race

Following Ferrari's dismal showing in the first half of the season, where the sport's most popular team failed to score a single win, few teams or drivers would've expected such a massive turnaround in fortunes as depicted by the stellar effort of young Charles Leclerc.

That Charles Leclerc is on pole position here at the daunting Marina Bay, his first pole under the bright floodlights of Singapore, puts Ferrari in a position of ascendency, something they'd love to maintain until crossing the checkered flag on Sunday.

But will that ever come easy with a driver of the class and reputation of Lewis Hamilton in hot pursuit of the young Monegasque?

There are several probabilities and certainties that await us at the 61-lap long Singapore Grand Prix. Everyone will be keen to know whether Ferrari can manage to better Mercedes and somehow eeke out a 1-2, if that is even possible? Furthermore, will Hamilton find a way to go past his young contender on the race day?

Let's examine 5 possible outcomes at the 2019 Singapore Grand Prix:

#5 Max Verstappen challenges Bottas and nearly betters Vettel

The last that one found Max Verstappen on the podium was back at the 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix, where he collected a brilliant second. Therefore, it suffices to suggest that the second half of the ongoing season hasn't really seen the best from the famous flying Dutchman.

Now back to Singapore, a track where he is yet to win, it remains to be seen what might Verstappen manage, beginning from fourth on the grid, just ahead of Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas.

But one feels that on race-day, Verstappen will push hard initially and will succeed in closing the gap to Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel in what might pan out to be a classic two-stop run for the Red Bull driver.

One shall also witness a closely fought battle between Vettel, Verstappen and Bottas for third which, even though will be aced by the German, Verstappen will do his best to keep the attacking Mercedes of the Finn at bay.

Sadly, he will once again fail to make it to the podium.

#4 Norris outpaces Sainz to score useful points

If there's a young driver on the grid, who apart from Charles Leclerc, has created sizeable impression in his very first Formula 1 season, then it has to be McLaren's Lando Norris.

A calm and collected driver with a clean race craft, Norris has shot to fame and earned himself the reputation of being one of the sport's finest young talents in barely no time at all.

It must be remembered that the 2019 Singapore Grand Prix, again a race where he hasn't driven before, is only Norris' 15th Grand Prix entry.

And at the Marina Bay, Lando Norris, who begins his Singapore charge from ninth on the grid will do well to collect useful points for his legendary racing outfit, once again finishing well inside the top ten.

At the narrow street-circuit, plagued by 23 testing corners, Norris will look after his tyres well and will even outscore his experienced Spanish teammate, Carlos Sainz Jr. It appears that a position anywhere between P7-P9 is easily on the cards for the 19-year-old.

#3 Antonio Giovinazzi outscores Kimi again

F1 Winter Testing in Barcelona - Day One

It could be said that the equation at the Alfa Romeo camp is pretty simple. Here's how. If the first half of the season belonged to the understated legend of the sport- Kimi Raikkonen- then the second half of the ongoing season has clearly belonged to young Italian driver Antonio Giovinazzi.

The young pass-out from the Ferrari driver academy recently collected his personal best finish at his home track, i.e., Monza.

When Giovinazzi collected a respectable P9, far better than Raikkonen who was well out of the top ten on the grid, it meant that no longer was one driver responsible for scoring for one of the strongest midfielders on the gird.

But out here in Singapore, Giovinazzi will carry his impressive form at a track that challenges the drivers to the very limit, in posing an exasperating mental and physical challenge.

At the 61-lap contest, Giovinazzi, who has the upper hand on his teammate in beginning from ninth on the grid will battle strongly and shall possibly end in the same position by the checkered flag.

Importantly, however, he will keep the other Alfa Romeo at bay and will again outscore Kimi, who has never won at Singapore.

#2 Vettel scores the fastest lap of the race

F1 Grand Prix of Singapore - Final Practice

When Sebastian Vettel clocked the fastest time in the first run of Q3 on Saturday, he reignited the great hope of a possible return to sublime form. But quickly thereafter, his form sort of evaporated into the thin air, the experienced German making a lot many mistakes to settle for a decent albeit seemingly-lowly P3.

On race day, however, Vettel will show sparks of past brilliance and will remind us of his excellent drive under the flashy floodlights, as seen back in 2015, where he collected his fourth win at the Singapore Grand Prix.

Right at the start, expect Vettel to come hard at Hamilton as the duo will file through the first corner unscathed, post which Vettel will begin to exert more pressure on his nemesis.

Later on, he will struggle with oversteer, something we saw particularly during the final moments of Q3 but will do just about enough to collect another handy podium. In the process of scoring well for Ferrari, even though sans a race-win, he will secure the fastest lap of the race and will stand to gain from a late second pit stop (possibly, for slicks).

#1 Leclerc beats Hamilton to collect his hat-trick of wins

Few drivers out there are commanding headlines in the manner this young 21-year-old driver from Monaco is. While he may have seemed slightly out of sorts in the first half of the season, if there's one driver who has painted the narrative of the second half of the season- as seen so far- then it's none other than Charles Leclerc.

Ferrari's answer to Lewis Hamilton's indomitable charge in his Mercedes begins his maiden Singapore Grand Prix wearing the 'Scarlett Red' from the pole position.

And on the race-day, he will once again give it his everything to fend off an attacking Hamilton in collecting his third win of the season, and therefore, a feisty hat-trick of Grand Prix wins.

Already, to his advantage, Charles Leclerc has gathered five pole positions in his first season with Ferrari and his tally of poles sees him ahead of stalwarts such as Lewis Hamilton, arguably the best driver on the grid.

Edited by Alan John