Vettel plays down being favourite for Spanish GP

While many predicting that Ferrari would have the upper hand in the Singapore Grand Prix, four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel has insisted that he is expecting a close battle with Mercedes in the coming weekend.

The 30-year-old will head into Singapore with maximum triumphs at the Marina Bay Circuit. He also produced a spirited performance last year as he raced from the back of the grid to finish at the fifth spot.

The circuit in Singapore involves tight, twisty corners and high downforce which suits Ferrari, thus leading many to predict that the team would surely return on track.

Brushing aside the expectations, Vettel said, "I have good confidence and trust in the team and I know there are a lot of things coming. In theory it should be better here than Monza, but I think it will be close."

"It's generally been close everywhere we go, even when it's 'this one will suit Mercedes', or 'this one will suit Ferrari'. The gap is small. It's important to trust the car. There's no reason to believe the car won't be good. How good it will be, we'll find out," Sport24 quoted Vettel as saying.

Earlier, the German driver had lost his lead to Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton in Monza and now trails by three points in the drivers' championship.