Hamilton favourite for back-to-back triumph say Experts
Lewis Hamilton is the favourite to triumph at Singapore and become the first driver to win back-to-back races in 2012 according to the Castrol EDGE Grand Prix Predictor Experts.
The 2008 world champion, who took a convincing victory last time out at Monza, tops the selections of all but one Expert.
Three-time grand prix winner Johnny Herbert, triple WTCC champion Andy Priaulx and AUTOSPORT all select the Briton to complete the double of pole position and race victory, in much the same fashion as his Italian Grand Prix win.
Only sportscar ace Darren Turner sees a different outcome, selecting the second McLaren of Jenson Button to triumph.
It was Button who fared the better of the duo in last year’s Singapore Grand Prix, chasing down eventual winner Sebastian Vettel to finish a close second.
Turner does have Hamilton finishing on the podium, but selects him for third behind Ferrari’s championship leader Fernando Alonso.
Button meanwhile fares well across the other three Experts’ selections, finishing second for Herbert and Priaulx and third for AUTOSPORT.
The upshot is a clear favourite tag not just for Hamilton but also McLaren, winner of the previous three races stretching back to Hungary.
Vettel, a dominant winner on the Singapore streets last year, will likely have to fight for the final step of the podium as a result, at least according to the Experts.
The German finishes directly behind Alonso in all four of the Experts’ forecasts – Herbert, Priaulx and Turner putting the duo third and fourth, AUTOSPORT one place lower down in fourth and fifth.
Kimi Raikkonen, third in the championship heading into Singapore, is likely to be another podium candidate, although his form fluctuates more wildly than Vettel’s.
The Finn for example claims second in AUTOSPORT’s top 10 projection, fifth for Herbert and Turner and eighth for Priaulx.
Red Bull’s Mark Webber enjoys more consistent form, but slightly further down the order.
The Australian is a likely bet to finish fifth according to Priaulx, sixth for Herbert and seventh for both Turner and AUTOSPORT.
In the battle for the lower points-paying positions several drivers earn nominations, including Felipe Massa, Michael Schumacher, Nico Hulkenberg and Pastor Maldonado.
The returning Romain Grosjean, banned from Monza as a result of his Spa shunt, also enjoys good form.
The Frenchman is only omitted from the top 10 by Turner. He finishes sixth in AUTOSPORT’s prediction and eighth for both Herbert and Priaulx.
To see the Castrol EDGE Grand Prix Predictor Experts' full selections, click here