F1 Singapore Grand Prix 2017 Preview: Red Bull Favored at the Marina Bay Street Circuit
The 10th installment of the Singapore Grand Prix has begun, and it looks like Red Bull Racing may have the edge over their rivals.
Mercedes AMG Petronas and Scuderia Ferrari have been the two dominant teams in Formula One (F1) so far this season and they are expected to battle it out again at the annual night race this weekend. But after two free practice sessions on Friday, teams are ready to admit that Red Bull may be difficult to beat at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo topped the timesheets in both sessions, and teammate Max Verstappen was never far behind.
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Qualifying will be on Saturday, Sept. 16, and motorsports fans in the United States can watch it live on CNBC at 9 a.m. ET. The race is on Sunday, Sept. 17, at 8 a.m. ET, and NBCSN's pre-race live coverage will start at 7 a.m. ET.
Meanwhile, Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton will enter the race this Sunday with a slim three-point lead over Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel, but he thinks he's going to have a "difficult weekend."
"Maybe we don't have the best package for this weekend, but we still have a great car. We can still be in the mix. We can still do potentially better strategies. Maybe on a single lap we will have a better scenario and that is so important here," the three-time Formula One World Champion said, via the BBC.
"But it is a very challenging circuit here, getting the set-up right, getting the timing right, understanding the tyres. So time on track is going to be very important," he added.
Ferrari has also struggled during practice, so the playing field is pretty even heading into the race.
In other news, Formula One has announced that the Singapore Grand Prix has been extended for four more years. The only night race on the calendar will continue until 2021.
