Singapore Grand Prix 2017 LIVE updates: Hamilton hoping for a miracle with Vettel on pole

Hamilton struggled in qualifying and starts in fifth behind Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo and Kimi Raikkonen.

The Brit is hoping to protect his slender three-point lead at the top of the championship.

But with Vettel on pole, and looking well-suited to the windy track of the Marina Bay Street Circuit, he faces a tall order.

“Fifth place is definitely not good compared to first,” said Hamilton.

“I am going to have to figure out how to pull a miracle out of somewhere.”

Singapore Grand Prix 2017 LIVE updates: Follow below for the latest

• Sebastian Vettel starts on pole with Lewis Hamilton in fifth
• Hamilton leads the Championship by three points
• Vettel has won four times in Singapore

12.55: Not long now with the rain streaming down in Singapore.

Has Lewis got a chance? He certainly does if the rain keeps up.

“With this rain, everything could change. Let’s see how heavy it gets,” Niki Lauda tells Craig Slater on Sky Sports.

“If Red Bull could win it would be better as Sebastian is the biggest world championship contender.”

Ted Kravitz said: “Lewis has to see this as some sort of opportunity today.

“The teams have until five minutes before the start to decide what tyres to start on.”

12.50:The tyres are expected to play another important part in today’s race – particularly if we do get rain in Singapore.

Here’s what each driver is working with – thanks to Pirelli.

12.20: Lewis Hamilton described Saturday’s qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix as a matter of ‘holding on for dear life’ after he lapped a disappointing fifth fastest.

The Briton’s description of how he felt hustling his Mercedes around the streets of the city-state could also apply to his hopes of staying ahead in the championship after Sunday’s race.

Ferrari rival Sebastian Vettel, three points adrift after Hamilton won the previous two races, seized pole position with a blistering late lap under the floodlights at the Marina Bay circuit.

Hamilton’s time of one minute 40.126 was way off the German’s 1:39.491, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo the closest challengers to Ferrari in second and third places.

“The car, the way it’s designed, for years it just doesn’t work particularly that great here,” said the triple champion whose Mercedes team have a chequered history at the twisty Singapore track.

“We were already holding on for dear life…I got everything out of all the laps. They were all very, very much as good as they could be.”

12.00: Let’s take a look at the grid line up for this afternoon’s race.

Singapore Grand Prix grid positions

1 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Ferrari 1min 39.491secs

2 Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1:39.814,

3 Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Red Bull 1:39.840

4 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 1:40.069

5 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1:40.126

6 Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Mercedes GP 1:40.810

7 Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Renault 1:41.013

8 Fernando Alonso (Spa) McLaren 1:41.179

9 Stoffel Vandoorne (Bel) McLaren 1:41.398

10 Carlos Sainz (Spa) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:42.056

11 Jolyon Palmer (Gbr) Renault 1:42.107

12 Sergio Perez (Mex) Force India 1:42.246

13 Daniil Kvyat (Rus) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:42.338

14 Esteban Ocon (Fra) Force India 1:42.760

15 Romain Grosjean (Fra) Haas F1 1:43.883

16 Kevin Magnussen (Den) Haas F1 1:43.756

17 Felipe Massa (Bra) Williams 1:44.014

18 Lance Stroll (Can) Williams 1:44.728

19 Pascal Wehrlein (Ger) Sauber-Ferrari 1:45.059

20 *Marcus Ericsson (Swe) Sauber-Ferrari 1:45.570

*Ericsson received a five-place grid penalty for a gearbox change.

11.30: Sergio Perez will remain at Force India for a fifth successive season after it was announced he will race on with the British-based team in 2018.

The Mexican driver, who spent one season alongside Jenson Button at McLaren, is seventh in the standings ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix.

Perez would have been interested in a move to Renault next year, but Carlos Sainz’s switch to the French team – which was confirmed here earlier this week – left him with little option other than to stay at Force India.

The 27-year-old will be partnered by Esteban Ocon once more despite the fall-out from last month’s Belgian Grand Prix in which the Frenchman accused his team-mate of trying to kill him following two collisions.

“Staying with Sahara Force India was always my priority,” Perez said. “It’s a team that has allowed me to show my talents as a driver and I feel very happy here.

“I’m proud of everything we have already achieved together and I think there is more to come.

11.15: Lewis Hamilton was frustrated after giving it everything in qualifying.

He starts fifth on the grid and faces a tall order to stop Sebastian Vettel re-taking the lead in the championship.

“I got everything I could out of the car,” Hamilton said. 

“I am happy with my performance, I am just frustrated we weren’t able to be quicker and compete with the Ferraris.

“That’s a seriously healthy gap. It’s strange how it goes from one track to another. Hopefully the next races are more in our direction.

“We have seen they are very good on the low-speed circuits. The characteristics of our car don’t like this track, that’s for sure.

“It is a long circuit with a lot of corners so you imagine one of the shorter circuits where we had the deficits, like Hungary, give it another 10 more corners and it would be very similar there.

“It’s just our car does not like this characteristics of this circuit and it’s something we need to improve for next year.”

11.00: Sebastian Vettel starts on pole  and is expected to romp home to victory in Singapore this afternoon.

But the German is concerned by the flying Red Bulls after an impressive start to the weekend.

“The Red Bulls are very quick, it will be a very close race,” said Vettel.