Mercedes duo George Russell and Lewis Hamilton endured a "frustrating" Singapore Grand Prix having failed to build on their impressive showing in qualifying.  

Hamilton started one place ahead of his team-mate in third, but the Silver Arrows' split strategy proved costly during the gruelling 62-lap race. 

The seven-time world champion gambled by starting on the soft tyres but was unable to get away with the runaway front two of Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. 

Russell, however, elected to start on the favoured medium tyre, but Hamilton's decision arguably held up his Mercedes team-mate in the opening stint. 

The pair finished fourth and sixth respectively, with Hamilton overtaking the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc late on to move to 174 points in the drivers' championship. 

“After a very difficult Friday, we would have likely taken P4 in the Grand Prix,” Russell said.

“Our pace in qualifying, however, made us believe we could achieve more.

"Today was no doubt a difficult race for us, both challenging in terms of our pace but also physically.

“The McLarens were very impressive and in another league to us, whilst Max [Verstappen] had the legs on us.

We were able to hold off the Ferrari of Charles [Leclerc] in the closing stages, so it was very much an evening of damage limitation.

"Given the pace of the car, that was the very best we could have achieved.”

Hamilton further relayed his frustrations about the race at the Marina Bay Street Circuit but is confident the Silver Arrows can bounce back in Austin next month. 

“It is hard to describe the range of emotions you feel when we have a difficult race like that,” Hamilton said.

“This year continues to be a testing one for everyone, but we are all pushing as hard as we can.

"We don’t always get things right and that was the case today with our strategy.

“We have lost some form to the leaders in the past few races and we’re working hard to figure out why that is.”

Mercedes had won three of the last four races before the summer break but have since managed just one podium since after Russell benefitted from Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez's crash on the penultimate lap of proceedings. 

But up next is a track Hamilton has relished over the years, with the Briton winning the American Grand Prix in Austin more times than anyone else (five), though he has not prevailed around the Texas circuit since 2017. 

Max Verstappen said after the Singapore Grand Prix that his punishment for swearing in a news conference could speed up his exit from Formula One.

Verstappen, who finished second behind title rival Lando Norris on Sunday, has often said that he is not motivated by having a long career in the competition. 

The Dutchman has now gone seven Grand Prix without a pole position and seven without a victory, but did halt his two-race podium drought this time around. 

But Verstappen's weekend was dominated by his actions off the track rather than on it, saying the controversy could make his departure from the sport a lot quicker. 

"These kinds of things definitely decide my future as well, when you can’t be yourself or you have to deal with these kinds of silly things," Verstappen said.

"Now I am at the stage of my career where you don’t want to be dealing with this all the time. It’s really tiring.

"For me, that is not a way of continuing in the sport, that’s for sure."

On Friday in Singapore, Verstappen was ordered by race stewards to "accomplish some work of public interest" swearing while describing his car’s performance in Baku while speaking in the official pre-event news conference on Thursday.

He staged a protest against the decision by giving short answers in the official post-qualifying news conference. 

Verstappen called the penalty "ridiculous" and was backed by Norris and Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton.

"If you can’t really be yourself to the fullest, then it’s better not to speak," Verstappen said.

"But that’s what no one wants because then you become a robot and that’s not how you should be going about it in the sport.

"You should be able to show emotions in a way. That’s what racing is about. Any sport.

"Anyone on the pitch, if they get tackled, or get pushed, or they are not happy with something or there is a frustrating moment, or something they get asked about, it’s quite normal there can be a sort of reaction."

There was also an emotional moment for Verstappen's former Red Bull team-mate Daniel Ricciardo, with the Singapore Grand Prix potentially his final race in F1. 

Rumours had swirled in the build up to this weekend's race that the eight-time Grand Prix winner would be replaced at RB by Liam Lawson for the final six races of the season. 

The Australian recorded the fastest lap and was voted the driver of the day, but Ricciardo gave his clearest indication that this weekend may be the end of his career in the sport. 

Referring to his fastest lap attempt, Ricciardo said: “It was maybe just to have one last crack at doing a fast one, if it is to be it.”

Pushed on whether that meant Singapore may have been his last Grand Prix, Ricciardo replied: “Possibly, I have to acknowledge that.

"It’s been a little bit of a race-by-race situation and I would have obviously loved the weekend to have gone better. It didn’t, so I have to prepared for this maybe being it.

"I do feel, let’s say, at peace with it. 

“At some point, it’ll come for all of us… I think also, I tried to get back into Red Bull, it didn’t work out, so then I also have to say, ‘Okay, what else am I ultimately doing here and trying to achieve?’

"Let’s say maybe the fairytale ending didn’t happen, but I also have to look back on what it’s been. Fourteen or so years and I’m proud.

“I think when you’ve experienced the highs of winning, you can only fight for P10 for so long."

Ricciardo was spotted taking his time getting out of the cockpit, the Australian appearing to savour the final moments with the car after a gruelling 62-lap race.

Across his 13-year career, Ricciardo has won eight times, with his latest win coming for McLaren at the Italian Grand Prix back in 2021. 

But as he crossed the line for potentially the final time, the Australian struggled to hold back the tears. 

“A lot of emotions, because – look I’m aware it could be it, and I think it’s also just [being] exhausted after the race," Ricciardo concluded. 

"So it’s like a flood of many emotions and feelings and exhaustion.

“The cockpit is something that I got very used to for many years,” added the veteran of 257 Grand Prix starts, tearing up. “I just wanted to savour the moment.”

Lando Norris lauded an "amazing race" as McLaren's Singapore Grand Prix dominance secured a comfortable ending for the winner.

Norris claimed his third win of the Formula One season on Sunday, further closing the gap in the drivers' championship to Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

The Dutchman's lead has now been slashed to 52 points but the defending champion remains the favourite to regain his crown.

That will not take away from another success for Norris, however, with the Briton relishing further success in 2024.

"It was an amazing race," Norris told Sky Sports. "A few too many close calls – I had a couple of little moments in the middle – but it was well controlled, I think, otherwise.

"The car was mega. I could push, we were flying the whole race, and at the end I could just chill. So it was a nice race, still tough, I'm a bit out of breath, but a fun one."

With Verstappen finishing just behind Norris, Oscar Piastri completed a superb weekend for McLaren by coming in third ahead of Mercedes' George Russell.

It could have been a different story for Norris and McLaren, though, with the 24-year-old brushing the barriers on more than one occasion.

"It's not that you are necessarily over-pushing, sometimes it can even be that you are just chilling too much," Norris said of those near-misses.

"Maybe it was a bit of both, I don't know what it is. It's tricky. It's still tough out there and easy to lock the tyres as I did.

"I still pushed, I didn't want to have a one-second lead, I wanted to have the biggest lead possible."

Norris has now equalled Stirling Moss and John Surtees on 24 podiums, meaning David Coulthard (62) and Eddie Irvine (26) are the only Britons to have secured more F1 podium finishes without winning a world championship.

Carlos Sainz acknowledged his crash in Q3 at the Singapore Grand Prix left Ferrari facing an uphill battle, with team-mate Charles Leclerc also seeing his time ruled out.

Sainz crashed at the final corner, losing control of his car before he started a flying lap, while Leclerc exceeded track limits at Turn 2 in a one-lap decider on Saturday.

Leclerc and Sainz will start in P9 and P10 respectively in Singapore on Sunday, with Ferrari currently third in the competitive constructors' championship standings.

Both drivers attributed their poor performance to tyre temperature.

"When we get out of the garage with front tyres that are too cold, then you arrive in the first corner and you lock up, so I don't know what's gone on," said Leclerc.

"I don't have the answer yet, the team don't have the answer yet, but we need to look into it because we paid the price today."

Sainz echoed a similar sentiment as he apologised to the Ferrari team for his crash.

"A very strange one. I clearly underestimated, or overestimated in this case, the grip that I would get from a very cold tyre. I had to do a lot of back off in the last sector to let some cars by," Sainz said.

"I had a big moment. At one point I thought I could save it but then it snapped on me and it was a very unfortunate, very bad accident. Apologies for the team and for everyone, because it's not the way you want to finish qualifying.

"At the same time, this weekend we've been struggling a lot with temperatures, with getting the tyres in the right window, and today was just one of those bad ones."

Sergio Perez expressed his concerns about Red Bull's potential at the Singapore Grand Prix this weekend after citing a lack of balance during Friday's practice sessions.

Lando Norris set the pace, finishing 0.058 seconds clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, with the Perez's team-mate Max Verstappen 1.294secs off the pace in 15th. 

Perez managed a eighth place finish, just behind the Mercedes of George Russell and the RB of Daniel Ricciardo. 

The Mexican will be hopeful of a better outcome in this weekend's race after crashing out on the penultimate lap in Baku last week after an incident with Carlos Sainz. 

There is no driver in this season who has not finished a Grand Prix on more occasions than Perez (three level with Alex Albon and Yuki Tsunoda).

He has now gone 11 races without finishing in four seasons for Red Bull, his highest number of retirements with a team, surpassing the 10 in five years for Force India.

Reviewing the two practice sessions, and whether any progress was made between FP1 and FP2, Perez said: “I think we improved a little bit, but still we are lacking quite a lot of balance.

"It’s quite difficult out there to put a lap together, [so] it’s not looking great at the moment."

Perez went on to comment that the level of Red Bull’s struggles “took us by surprise” despite the problems they faced at the Marina Bay street circuit last season.

“Definitely we’ve got some work to do overnight because we are quite far [behind],” said the Mexican, who was 0.871s down on pace-setting McLaren rival Norris.

“We are nearly a second off the pace, so we need quite a big change to be able to come through. We’ll see what we’re able to do.”

Oscar Piastri's confidence is high after a win in Baku, but he is willing to do what he can to help Lando Norris win the drivers' championship if called upon.

Piastri beat Charles Leclerc in Azerbaijan last weekend, holding off the Ferrari on a track where they usually dominate, to claim his second win of the season, following up his maiden F1 win in Hungary.

He got a little help from Norris on the track though, as the Brit held off Sergio Perez so that Piastri could emerge from the pits still holding his place.

The Australian remains fourth in the standings himself, now just 32 points behind team-mate Norris, but his victory meant McLaren leapfrogged Red Bull into the lead in the constructors' championship.

Piastri, who has finished on the podium in five of the last seven races, praised the teamwork put in by McLaren so far and is hoping they can continue that going forward.

"It is a nice confidence boost [coming to Singapore]. We should be competitive this weekend," he said.

"It wasn't our most competitive track, there have been races where we have been quicker compared to the competition. So, to win like that where Ferrari were so quick is a confidence boost.

"Lando is still ahead in the championship and, just to be honest, has a more realistic chance to win the drivers' championship.

"But Baku is how we want to go racing as McLaren. We got it across perfectly of our culture and how we want to go racing. I want to win but, naturally, if I can help out Lando's championship bid, I am happy to help."

Max Verstappen, meanwhile, has struggled of late, failing to win any of the last seven F1 races, with his last victory coming in Spain in June.

He still holds a 59-point lead over Norris in the standings, but with just two podiums since his last win, the Dutchman is far from his best.

He acknowledged the other drivers' improvement, especially Piastri, and is hopeful Red Bull can fix some of their issues ahead of a race where they have struggled before.

"Oscar is doing a fantastic job lately and [McLaren] are very strong as a team. So, it is up to us to make it difficult for them. We need to make the car more dependable," he said.

"Our car generally isn't very good on bumps and kerbs, and that is what we have around here, so we need to try and stabilise it.

"I don't know even where to start. I'm confident we can do a better job than last year, but the competition has improved quite a bit."

DRIVERS TO WATCH

Lando Norris – McLaren

Norris has proven a consistent challenger to Verstappen so far this season and took the edge once again in Baku by sneaking in front of him at the end of the race.

It marked the second-biggest comeback of his F1 career (11 places, from 15th to 4th), meaning he has now finished ahead of the 26-year-old in each of the last three races.

However, since Verstappen's last win, Norris has only closed the gap by 10 points in the drivers’ championship.

Sergio Perez – Red Bull

Sergio Perez has endured a difficult run, having failed to make the podium since April in China.

It looked like he would end that run in Baku, only for a late tangle with Carlos Sainz to force him to retire from the race.

No driver in this year's championship has not finished a grand prix more often than the Mexican (three, level with Alex Albon and Yuki Tsunoda), but Red Bull will be hoping he can build on what looked to be a promising race in Singapore.

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Drivers

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 313
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 254
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 235
4. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 222
5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) – 184

Constructors

1. McLaren – 476
2. Red Bull – 456
3. Ferrari – 425
4. Mercedes – 309
5. Aston Martin – 82

Fernando Alonso says he has lost "about 60" points due to mechanical issues across the Formula One season, describing Alpine's problems as "unacceptable" after retiring from the Singapore Grand Prix.

Alpine suffered their first double retirement of the 2022 campaign on Sunday, as suspected power unit issues ended the races of Alonso and team-mate Esteban Ocon.

Alonso was defending sixth place against the advances of Max Verstappen when the problem first struck, forcing him out of the race after 21 laps. Ocon, meanwhile, followed six laps later.

The issue overshadowed a landmark day for Alonso, who made a record 351st grand prix start, and the Spaniard made his frustration known after the race.

"Again eight or 10 points are gone and there were already about 50 points lost this year," Alonso said. "So there are already about 60, which is unacceptable.

"I am very upset because there had been a good performance in this race on my part throughout the weekend.

"Yes, it was the two [Alpine] cars, but one was behind and out of the points, and it was not as serious as in my case for the points.

"This year, this changes everything. If you gave me 60 more points in the standings and reduced those of the rest – because they are points that the others would not have added – my championship would seem much better, even compared to Mercedes."

Alonso has retired from four of his 17 races in 2022, including back-to-back outings at Monza and Singapore. 

The two-time world champion, who is set to replace the retiring Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin next year, sits ninth in the drivers' championship standings, seven points behind team-mate Ocon.

Lewis Hamilton hopes he can belatedly celebrate his first win of 2022 at the Singapore Grand Prix, believing such a result would pay back Mercedes and his fans for their support in a difficult year.

Hamilton is facing the first winless season of his Formula One career after falling out of title contention.

The seven-time world champion has made six podiums this year but is still waiting to return to the top step with only six races remaining in the season.

Hamilton at least appears to have the pace in Singapore, where he qualified third-fastest on Saturday and revealed only "an oversteer moment" at Turn 16 denied him the chance to take pole ahead of Charles Leclerc.

It was still the Briton's best qualifying performance of the season – which came as a surprise to him – and he is looking to improve further on race day.

"It feels incredibly rewarding, I think, for everyone in the team [to get this performance]," Hamilton said in a press conference.

"We've really started with a real handful, a difficult deck of cards that we've created for ourselves, and [it has meant] reshuffling and lots and lots of work.

"Everyone [has been] staying really positive, or as positive as possible, and everyone is just being incredibly diligent and never giving up.

"So, it's been an inspiring year for me, witnessing what my team do and being a part of that, and yeah, I so badly want to [win].

"Naturally the will and desire to get a good result for them, to pay them back for all their great work is part of it.

"Also, my fans have been the most incredible this year, on and off track. And we couldn't have survived the year without them. So, I also want it for them.

"But I think we've got a great turnout here this weekend. And I hope that tomorrow we can give them a good show."

This weekend, in which Max Verstappen can clinch a second straight title, albeit the Dutchman's chances have been reduced by a frustrating qualifying session, has been overshadowed by speculation of a major salary cap breach.

Red Bull, Verstappen's team, have been forced to deny claims they are the guilty party, and Hamilton was not interested in engaging in gossip.

"I'm not really giving it much attention, to be honest," he said. "It's all whispers at the moment.

"I don't know enough about it to be able to make a sensible comment. I'm not thinking particularly anything.

"I'm proud of my team for the diligence that they've done to run to the rules.

"And honestly, I have full confidence in Mohammed [bin Sulayem, FIA president] in the way that he's conducted himself to this point and in terms of being strict and being clear with the rules.

"The rules are rules, and for those sort of things, which can lead to real alterations in terms of car performance, those sorts of things, we definitely have to take it seriously.

"But as I said, I don't know if it's true or not, so we'll see."

Max Verstappen was forced to abandon his final lap in qualifying after his Red Bull ran out of fuel in Singapore, he confirmed after the session.

The reigning Formula One world champion was pushing to leapfrog Ferrari's Charles Leclerc for pole position in a wet session under the lights but was called into the pits as he approached the line.

Verstappen immediately expressed his fury over team radio and subsequently confirmed in the media pen that he was called in because there was not enough fuel left in the car.

"They told me to abort so I thought okay I'll do that but then on the final lap, they told me to box and then I realised what was going to happen and we ran out of fuel," he told Sky Sports.

"That's just incredibly frustrating and shouldn't happen. And even when you under-fuel it, you track that throughout the session, you're not going to make it and we should've seen that clearly.

"Not happy at the moment. It's a team effort. I can make mistakes and the team can make mistakes but it's never acceptable. Of course, you learn from it but this is really bad and  shouldn't happen."

F1 regulations state that each team must have enough fuel remaining after qualifying for scrutineering, with punishments issued if the required amount cannot be met.

Verstappen will start eighth on the grid for Sunday's race in south east Asia, where he can mathematically win the title but would require a massive shake-up across the grid.

George Russell has described Alex Albon's decision to return for the Singapore Grand Prix as "audacious", praising the Williams driver's determination to feature in what he feels is Formula One's "toughest race".

Albon spent a night in intensive care earlier in September after suffering respiratory failure following treatment for appendicitis.

The 26-year-old was then replaced by Nyck de Vries for the Italian Grand Prix, but is set to return to the grid this weekend.

The Singapore race is the longest of the F1 season, while the humid conditions at the Marina Bay Street Circuit are expected to test drivers' stamina. 

Russell – whose move to Mercedes paved the way for Albon to assume his seat with Williams – has been impressed by his recovery, saying: "It's definitely audacious to come back for the toughest race of the season having only just recovered.

"But it just goes to show the sort of grit and determination he has. I was in contact with his family on the Saturday night because it was looking very scary at one point.

"But it's pretty impressive to see how he recovered so quickly. The human body is a scary thing.

"It just goes to show one minute everything is fine, and the next minute everything can change almost totally out of your control. It will be interesting to see how he gets on this weekend."

Asked about the difficult conditions drivers will face this weekend, Russell added: "It doesn't matter how much training you do, you will never be able to replicate what you go through on track.

"I have been training with at least three layers of clothes on every single gym session, every time I go out on the bike.

"It's pretty uncomfortable. It's quite impressive how difficult the body handles heat, even in the sauna for half an hour. That's what we will be experiencing in the car. And then there is the physical element and cognitive side of things."

Max Verstappen suggested he would have liked to see Ferrari take the Formula One title fight to the wire ahead of his first opportunity to seal consecutive championships.

Verstappen could retain the drivers' championship at Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix, although it appears an unlikely prospect as he requires both Sergio Perez and Charles Leclerc to post poor finishes.

Nevertheless, it appears to be a matter of time before Verstappen clinches his second crown, with Ferrari's issues with reliability and strategy costing Leclerc the chance to compete.

Verstappen holds a 119-point lead over Leclerc at the top of the standings after winning each of the last five races, and the Dutchman says he would have relished a closer battle.

"I mean, [there are] two sides. Yes, in one way, I would have liked them to still be in the fight," he said on Thursday. 

"But from my side, of course it's also nice to win it in a more calm way. 

"I think what is good to see is that they are very competitive this year compared to the last few years, and I think that's what F1 needed."

Meanwhile, Verstappen is not getting carried away by the prospect of wrapping up the title in Singapore, and has revealed he would prefer to seal the deal at next week's Japanese Grand Prix.

"It's a bit unrealistic for it to happen. So I don't really think about it," Verstappen added. "It's quite a long shot. I just want to enjoy the weekend, and of course, try to win it.

"I think Japan is nicer. I'm really excited to go back there, It's been a while. It's an amazing track and for me, anyway, it has quite special memories.

"The first time I drove an F1 car was there in FP1, and I will always remember that. And besides that, it is kind of a home GP with [Red Bull engine provider] Honda.

"I think [it will be] my first proper opportunity to win the title. So yeah, of course, I'm looking forward to Singapore right now. But I'm also very excited for next weekend."

Lewis Hamilton has declared he "feels for the fans" after Max Verstappen's dominance of the F1 championship battle this season.

The Red Bull ace tops the standings by a whopping 116 points heading into Sunday's race at Singapore, where he can clinch the crown if a series of permutations are met.

It is unlikely that Singapore will be the race where Verstappen wins the title, with a more likely scenario seeing him crowned champion the following week in Japan.

Either way, a second title in a row for Verstappen is inevitable and Hamilton has declared it is "never great" when the battle is concluded prematurely.

"I definitely feel for the fans because for everyone and even for us, last year, going right down to the wire, that was intense for everybody. So, it's never great when the season finishes early," he said at a news conference on Thursday.

"Even when I've experienced having it finish early in places like Mexico. For you as the one individual, it's great but for the actual sport it's not spectacular.

"I'm really grateful to have had 2008 right down to the last 17 seconds, and obviously last year, pretty much the same thing. Let's hope for the future, it's a bit better."

Williams have confirmed that Alex Albon will be back behind the wheel at this week's Singapore Grand Prix after recovering from appendicitis.

Albon spent a night in intensive care earlier this month after suffering respiratory failure due to post-operative anaesthetic complications, forcing him to miss the Italian Grand Prix.

The 26-year-old was replaced by Formula One debutant Nyck de Vries, who finished ninth at Monza.

Albon is now targeting a return to action in Singapore, but he is aware of just how tough it will be to ease himself back in on one of the calendar's most demanding tracks.

"Firstly, I'd just like to thank everyone for all their messages and support over the Italian Grand Prix weekend," he said in a statement released on Wednesday.

"My preparation has been a little different than normal but I'm feeling good and I've done everything possible to get ready for one of the most physical races on the calendar.

"I am not underestimating how big of a challenge this is going to be, but I am looking forward to hitting the track on Friday and getting back driving.

"It's a great street circuit and the closest race to home for me in Thailand, so I'm really excited to be here and to see the fans that have turned out."

Albon is 19th in the drivers' championship with four points after 16 races.

De Vries is on two points from one race, while fellow Williams driver Nicholas Latifi – who is leaving at the end of the campaign – is without a point.

Williams driver Alex Albon suffered complications following surgery for appendicitis that led to respiratory failure and intensive care, but he is expected to return home on Tuesday.

It was announced on Saturday that Albon would not race in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza having been transferred to hospital, with Nyck de Vries deputising in his place and finishing ninth to secure points in his first ever F1 race.

Albon is expected to return to for the next round of racing in Singapore, but a statement issued by Williams on Monday detailed complications that arose after the 26-year-old's surgery.

"Further to Alex Albon's diagnosis of appendicitis on the morning of Saturday 10 September, he was admitted to San Gerardo hospital for treatment. He underwent a successful laparoscopic surgery on Saturday lunchtime," the statement said.

"Following surgery, Alex suffered with unexpected post-operative anaesthetic complications which led to respiratory failure, a known but uncommon complication. He was re-intubated and transferred to intensive care for support.

"He made excellent progress overnight and was able to be removed from mechanical ventilation yesterday morning. He has now been transferred to a general ward and is expected to return home tomorrow. There were no other complications.

"Alex's full focus is on recovery and preparation ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix later this month."

The Singapore Grand Prix will be on the Formula One calendar until at least 2028 after a seven-year contract extension to stage the race was agreed.

There was no racing at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in the past two seasons due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the 2022 race is set to go ahead on October 2.

F1 on Thursday announced that a deal has been agreed with Singapore GP Pte Ltd (SGP) and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) for the event to remain on the calendar for at least another seven seasons.

"I am delighted that Formula One will continue to race in Singapore for another seven years," said F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali.

"The Marina Bay Street Circuit hosted the first night race in F1 history in 2008, and Singapore has continued to thrill fans, teams, and drivers ever since. Singapore holds a special place on the F1 calendar, and this extension is part of our long-term commitment to continue to grow the sport in Asia.

"The plans that are in place to reduce the carbon footprint of the event are impressive and align with our plans to be Net Zero Carbon as a sport by 2030 and I look forward to continuing our successful relationship with Singapore GP and the Singapore Tourism Board as Formula One returns to this incredible city."

Singapore GP's chairman Mr Ong Beng Seng said: "We are very pleased that the night race will continue for seven more years.

"After more than a decade of celebrating this spectacular event on the racing calendar, we are looking forward to building on its success and working with Formula One as well as its partners to take the night race to greater heights. We are delighted that this marquee event will demonstrate how Singapore is open for business.

"We look forward to welcoming both local and overseas fans and visitors to the Marina Bay Street Circuit once again."