Hamilton wins hard-fought Singapore GP

SINGAPORE (CMC):

After racing to victory in hot and humid conditions in the Singapore Grand Prix yesterday, Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton described the experience as one of the toughest he's ever driven in.

The win strengthened the 33-year-old Hamilton's hold on the Championship lead - extending it to 40 points - with his arch-rival Sebastian Vettel having to settle for third behind Max Verstappen of Red Bull, following a series of questionable strategy calls from Ferrari.

So hot was it in Singapore that Hamilton admitted to losing around two kilos in qualifying.

But a clean getaway gave the Briton the lead at the start and he nailed the restart following the safety car period before controlling a tough race that lasted one hour and 51 minutes with humidity peaking at 69 per cent.

Hamilton, a four-time champion driver whose paternal grandparents hail from Grenada, said he felt relieved to have won the event, which is widely described as the most physically demanding race on the calendar.

"I'm spent. That was a tough race. That was a long race. It felt like the longest race of my life. I'm glad it's over. What a day. What a weekend. I feel super blessed," Hamilton said after the race.

Ferrari had been favourites for victory in Singapore, but failed to convert that potential for the second successive year at Marina Bay, which was something of a surprise for Hamilton.

"They've put up a good fight this weekend. I'm not really quite sure where their pace disappeared, too. I didn't come to Singapore expecting to come away with 10 points more, but I'm very grateful for those points," he explained.

Hamilton has now finished first or second in the last six races. By contrast, Vettel has two wins, a second, a third, a fourth and one retirement. That's allowed Hamilton turn a one-point deficit into a 40-point lead.