SEPTEMBER 17, 2016

Rivals see three-team battle in Singapore

Singapore 2016 could be a close, three-way battle for victory.

Singapore 2016 could be a close, three-way battle for victory.

Mercedes has dominated this year, but last season the German team mysteriously struggled under the city-state's floodlights.

Red Bull, meanwhile, is very strong on the tighter street circuits, and it was Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel who won in Singapore a year ago.

But Dr Helmut Marko warned that Red Bull is not relying on a repeat of Mercedes' Singapore troubles of 2015.

"I think Mercedes solved its problems from the previous year long ago," he told Welt newspaper.

"But even without their problems we see a chance against them," added Marko.

Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda told the Italian broadcaster Sky: "We are fast and do not have last year's problem.

"But Ferrari and especially Red Bull seem very fast here. This track is perfect for Red Bull, not for us, so we are going to have to sweat a lot."

(GMM)