Lewis Hamilton 'feels sorry' for fans watching Max Verstappen's dominance

Lewis Hamilton has admitted he “feels sorry” for Formula One fans that the world drivers’ title could be settled this weekend with five rounds of the season still to go.

The title has only ever been won with five races remaining twice before: in 2002, when Michael Schumacher clinched his fifth crown with six races left, and in 1992, when Nigel Mansell won with five to go.

Max Verstappen would join them on Sunday if he won Singapore’s street race, which is held at night under the floodlights, and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez finished well down the field.

Hamilton said that wherever Verstappen ended up clinching the title, the championship race as a whole had been a dud. Especially when compared with last year’s, which went down to the wire in Abu Dhabi, Verstappen eventually emerging victorious thanks to a hugely controversial late safety-car period.

“From my point of view, I’m not really thinking much about that [Verstappen potentially winning the title this weekend],” Hamilton said in his pre-race press conference at the Marina Bay Circuit on Thursday night.

“Definitely, I feel for the fans, for everyone and even for us [the drivers]. Last year, going right down to the wire, that was intense for everybody.”