sport news Lewis Hamilton's bid to end win drought - SIX things to look for at Singapore ... trends now
Almost three weeks since the last race weekend in Monza, Formula One is back and the 2022 champion could be confirmed as early as this weekend.
It speaks to the pure dominance of Max Verstappen that the title race was over before we even hit summer and even with six races remaining, it could be a moot point come Monday morning.
But there are so many other sub-plots in the paddock as there always are.
Can Daniel Ricciardo tap into his good fortune over the years at Singapore to make a compelling argument for one of the three remaining 2023 seats? How will Alex Albon get on in his first race back having been in intensive care following respiratory failure? And what about Mick Schumacher and his expected divorce from Haas?
Sportsmail picks out six things to keep an eye on as F1 heads to the Marina Bay Circuit...
Max Verstappen can become the earliest F1 champion in 20 years if it plays out this weekend
Refreshed Lewis in happy hunting ground to end drought
Given his illustrious career, Lewis Hamilton is rarely far from a happy hunting ground - but the Marina Bay Circuit may be among the sweetest of them all.
It is Hamilton's iconic pole lap in qualifying in 2018 that has been debated as one of the greatest ever. He is a four-time champion in Singapore and it is a circuit that has served Mercedes well amid their dominant spell as the biggest fish on the grid.
Hamilton has had time to take stock after a 12th-placed finish in Holland and a 10th-placed finish in Monza.
He won't need reminding that he has never had a season in F1 without a single race win. And yet there is a sense that if it doesn't arrive in Singapore, will it ever this season?
Lewis Hamilton will look to end his season-long wait for a win in Singapore, a place where he is a four-time champion (Pictured: winning the Singapore Grand Prix in 2018 with Mercedes)
Mercedes have certainly turned a corner in recent months following crucial upgrades to the car.
George Russell has looked much more competitive since Mercedes got their porpoising woes under control and on paper, Singapore should suit the silver arrows down to the ground.
Winner in 2009, 2014, 2017 and 2018, Hamilton will know if reliability is never questioned over the weekend, don't rule him out, even with the form Red Bull find themselves in.
Not that everyone is convinced, though. Just ask Russell.
'I think, on paper, Singapore should suit our car - but when we look back at the street circuits of Monaco and Azerbaijan, our car doesn't fare too well over the bumps,' he explained after Monza.
'So, we're not too sure how it will fall out. But we need to keep on pushing, keep on improving the car and I'm pleased that we've got a clear direction we need to go now.'
Singapore often delivers high drama and key moments and a cool head like Hamilton could be exactly what is needed amid the humidity and the heat.
Hamilton's rich success in Singapore started with victory in 2009 when he was with McLaren
Max's championship window is now OPEN
Verstappen's championship window is now open for business.
His second world title has been a formality for some time but now he goes into a race weekend knowing he could come out the other side with his title signed, sealed and delivered.
The Dutchman has been in a league of his own for months now and whether it is Singapore or Japan, a second world title is not far away.
Sealing it in Singapore really would be something special.
If Verstappen wins and takes fastest lap - and Charles Leclerc finishes P8 or lower - he will succeed the earliest finish to a season in 20 years.
He would be the earliest finisher since Michael Schumacher clinched the 2002 title with six races remaining. Factor in though that there were 17 races that year, instead of the 22 we have now.
The Dutchman needs a favour from Ferrari but can mathematically clinch it out in Singapore
Verstappen (left) has been a class apart for much of the season and the finish line is in sight
Even if the predictions suggest this is a circuit that doesn't necessarily lend itself to Red Bull, Verstappen looks unbeatable and it is proving harder and harder to make credible cases against him winning-out from here.
'The car was very overweight,' he said after winning in Monza. 'It was overweight in the wrong place of the car as well, so that's why it was just understeering a lot more and prone to front [brake] locking.
'I don't think it will be a problem in Singapore but maybe we encounter different kinds of things.
'We haven't been there in a while. It's normally quite a bumpy track, so we just need to work on the set-up, see how these cars react to the bumps and try to go as fast as possible.'
When it comes to going as fast as possible, few can live with the Flying Dutchman.
Ferrari need miracle to keep hopes alive
At this point all Ferrari can do is try and delay the inevitable.
Mathematically they can still win the title heading into Singapore but even the most optimistic Ferrari fan will concede that isn't going to happen.
The Scuderia head into the Singapore Grand Prix, the first race there since 2019, 139 points behind Red Bull in the Constructors' standings.
It is a track that, on paper at least, seems better suited to this Ferrari car than the Red Bull and if nothing else, a race win for Ferrari would make up for the disappointment of losing in Monza.
Finishing strongly and insuring they don't fall any lower than second in the Constructors' standings is absolutely imperative.
It was Ferrari's pit wall that was celebrating the last time F1 rolled into Singapore; that was Sebastian Vettel's swansong.
But it is a circuit that has brought them some joy and while Verstappen will be eager to rewrite history, Ferrari will hope their miracle run to overthrow Red Bull gets a push on Sunday.
Schumacher's race looks run
The installation of the Schumacher name brought a smile back to many F1 fans but it is now unavoidable that this marriage with Haas is
