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[SINGAPORE] The barricades, spotlights and grandstands are already up along the streets of Marina Bay, as the annual spectacle that is the Formula 1 (F1) night race comes to town once again next weekend.

Several hundred thousand fans are set to catch the action along the notoriously challenging 4.94 km-long circuit, which is known to be among the toughest races on the F1 calendar.

Many spectators will also be at the numerous concerts over the three-day event, and this year’s headline acts include K-pop star G-Dragon, American rock band Foo Fighters and Britain’s multiple Grammy winner Elton John.

Ahead of the big flag off, here are four things to look out for as the F1 spectacle descends on the Lion City for the 18th race of the season.

Can McLaren retain the team title early?

All eyes are on whether McLaren will bag enough points in Singapore to retain the Constructors’ Championship they won in dramatic fashion last year.

McLaren needed the final race of the 2024 season in Abu Dhabi to sew up their first team title in 26 years, but this season seems to be a more straightforward one, as they could successfully defend their crown with as many as six races to go.

As things stand, McLaren have an impressive 333-point lead over Mercedes, which overtook Ferrari in Baku last weekend to claim second place. What this means is that a single podium finish from either Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri for the rest of the season will be enough to win the championship.

Otherwise, McLaren will automatically become champions in Singapore if they are not outscored by Mercedes by 31 points or more, and not outscored by Ferrari by 35 points or more.

Verstappen still in the hunt for glory

One of the most in-form racers this season is Red Bull’s star driver Max Verstappen, who arrives in Singapore on the back of two big wins in Italy and Azerbaijan. This is the first time he has secured consecutive victories since June last year, and the 27-year-old Dutchman is now within 69 points of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.

The four-time world champion Verstappen has four wins this season and is in contention to win the drivers’ championship.

He has achieved six “grand slams” in his career so far – pole position, winning the race, achieving the fastest lap, and leading every lap. He enjoyed a flawless weekend in Baku, and he is now eyeing more success in Singapore and the remaining races.

“Seven races to go and it’s still 69 points? It’s a lot. I need to be perfect on my side and have lots of luck,” said Verstappen, who has the most number of pole positions this year with six. “Let’s see what happens in Singapore.”

Can Hamilton regain his mojo?

This will be the first time Singapore fans will see Lewis Hamilton compete for Ferrari, after the 40-year-old Briton left Mercedes at the end of last season.

The seven-time world champion has yet to achieve a podium finish so far since his move to Maranello. His eighth position in Baku on Sunday was one of his poorer performances. This year, his best results have been fourth place in Imola, Austria and Britain.

It is anyone’s guess if Hamilton, the most successful driver in F1 history, can go back to his championship-winning best. His legions of fans in Singapore will certainly hope he can somehow turn things around fast.

When might Alonso call it a day?

For F1 enthusiasts in Singapore, this could well be one of their final few opportunities to watch Fernando Alonso – the oldest active driver today – in the flesh.

The 44-year-old Spaniard, who is part of the Aston Martin team, said in an interview earlier this week that he could retire in 2026 if the team are able to have a competitive season.

The two-time world champion’s contract ends next year, with Aston Martin set to go through a transition with a new engine era and Honda coming on board as the new partner.

“If things go well, I think it’s a very good moment to stop,” said Alonso in an interview published on the team’s website. “Let’s say that if we are competitive, there is more chance that I stop. If we are not competitive, it will be very hard to give up without trying again.”

Alonso has not won any race since the Spanish Grand Prix in 2013 when he was still at Ferrari. He won consecutive world championships with Renault in 2005 and 2006.