What to expect at the Singapore GP: Red Bull on the rise, as championship tussle intensifies

Team to watch: Red Bull

• Daniel Ricciardo knows he should have won the Monaco Grand Prix. Around the narrow streets of Monte-Carlo the Red Bull driver was mesmerisingly fast. It remains the only time this year anyone has beaten a Mercedes to pole position. But for a catastrophic error by his team in the pits, the victory would have been his.
• Singapore is the closest fit for Monaco on the calendar. It also demands huge traction and downforce: the strengths of Ricciardo's RB12. He's been overwhelmingly the team's best driver in qualifying so far this year. With a clean weekend, he might even eclipse the Mercedes pair as favourite for victory, particularly as he doesn't have a championship to worry about.
• This is not to overlook his super-quick team mate Max Verstappen, however. Though its true he over-drove on his two visits to Monaco so far, he was quick at Singapore in his Toro Rosso last year. And, unlike Ricciardo, he already has a victory under his belt this season.

Also on the radar: Toro Rosso

• Toro Rosso have the same key strengths as Red Bull, but the limitations of their engine are hurting them as we near the end of the season. As the only team on the grid using a 2015-specification power unit, Toro Rosso have not received any engine performance upgrades all year.
• The team arrive in Singapore knowing this is their best chance for a big points haul in the final races of 2016. It's a crucial weekend for them as they strive to overhaul McLaren in the points standings: the two are separated by three points at the moment.
• However the team has been dogged by unreliability - a common problem for this outfit, unfortunately. And Daniil Kvyat, following his demotion from Red Bull, has looked a shadow of his former self. Carlos Sainz Jnr is their best hope.

Championship in the balance

• Nico Rosberg's win in Italy gives us a tightly-poised championship situation: Lewis Hamilton is just two points ahead with seven races to go.
• Another poor start at Monza will heap pressure on Hamilton not to slip up again this weekend. Overtaking is so hard at Singapore he will struggle to recover if he suffers a repeat.
• But Hamilton's Singapore record is much better than Rosberg's: he's won twice while his team mate hasn't visited the rostrum since its inaugural race eight years ago.