Fernando Alonso says he will drive as if he is the chaser and not the championship leader despite taking a 37 point lead into the final seven rounds of the F1 season.
The
Ferrari driver has won three times this year and has scored in every other race bar the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa to hold his current advantage over McLaren's
Lewis Hamilton – although both
Kimi Raikkonen and
Sebastian Vettel are close behind the Briton.
Alonso's lead has come despite
Ferrari insisting it doesn't have the quickest car on the grid and the double champion admitted that he would have to be aggressive to maintain his advantage and avoid being caught by the chasing pack.
“I must face these seven races like a chaser and not a leader because there are 175 points up for grabs and 37 are nothing,” he told
Marca. “It can all change in one race. My only objective in Singapore is to win. I have to put on a perfect display right to the end.”
Alonso added that he couldn't rule any of those drivers giving chase and said he expected twists and turns ahead.
“If I had to choose between Hamilton or Vettel, I would choose Raikkonen,” he joked. “Hamilton is the only one who is capable of winning without having the best car, which is evident as the others only win when they have a good car.
“There will be some twists and turns among the title contenders in the final run-in, as it's a closely-fought battle. It's easier when you've got an advantage over the rest. I'm more relaxed than I was last year.”