Hamilton still chasing idol Senna

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton was in the form of his life when he arrived in Singapore, looking to match the 41 career wins of his boyhood idol Ayrton Senna in a dominant season that had seen him win seven of the season's first 12 grand prix races.

By the end of Sunday's race, however, the Briton had retired his sluggish Mercedes for the first time this year, while Sebastian Vettel roared to victory in his Ferrari.

Hamilton had secured 11 of 12 poles before Singapore but the alarm bells that first sounded in practice were ringing loud and clear by qualifying as Ferrari and Red Bull were lapping roughly a second faster than the Silver Arrows.