Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton is aiming to win his third consecutive Singapore Grand Prix title on September 22. He has won 8 Grand Prix titles so far this season and is currently leading his teammate and closest title rival, Valtteri Bottas, by 63 points.

Out of the five victories that Mercedes has claimed at the 23-turn Singapore street circuit, Hamilton clinched four of them. Hamilton is currently eyeing his sixth Formula One World Title. However, he is wary of the challenges ahead of him, given that the Singapore streets are expected to remain hazy as a result of a wildfire that broke out in its neighbouring country, Indonesia.

The Marina Bay Street Circuit is traditionally a draining venue for drivers, because of the high levels of humidity and heat it has to offer. Now that the National Environment Agency declared the pollution to have reached the lower end of the unhealthy range, drivers are about to face more challenges on the streets of Singapore.

Lewis Hamilton won Singapore GP last year
Lewis Hamilton celebrates his Singapore Grand Prix victory on the podium a year ago with second-placed Max Verstappen (left) and third-placed Sebastian Vettel

Last weekend, the city experienced dense smog and the racing circuit was no exception. Just to stay safe in case the air quality deteriorates, Formula One bosses have their contingency plans ready. According to authorities, the race schedule won't be affected because of the prevalent pollution.

The recent rise of Charles Leclerc is also one of the other challenges that Hamilton needs to overcome before fulfilling his goal. Since the summer break, Leclerc won two consecutive races on power-friendly circuits in Belgium and Italy.

Speaking about the 21-year-old wonder boy from Monaco, Hamilton reportedly stated, "I am not looking forward to the next race thinking it will swing our way. I hope that it is competitive between us. I want this battle to continue."

According to Firstpost, Toto Wolff, Team Principal of Mercedes said that they knew about the challenges they would face in the Italian and Belgian tracks. However, he feels that they would enjoy a strong finish in the Singapore race. He also claims that on paper, his team's abilities and track record at the venue outshine those of the others.