Nico Rosberg with Singapore GP chance to overhaul championship leader Lewis Hamilton

Nico Rosberg is going for a hat-trick of wins in Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix that would catapult him back to the top of the world championship standings.

Rosberg led the title race by 43 points earlier in the season and is looking to follow his victories in Belgium and Italy in the last two races with a maiden triumph around the Marina Bay street circuit.

There had been fears the Mercedes would be off the pace after struggling and failing to make the podium in Singapore in 2015.

But Rosberg put any fears that he would be outpaced by Red Bull or Ferrari firmly to bed with a blistering lap to pile pressure on his teammate Lewis Hamilton, whose lead has been reduced to two points.

Rosberg scorched round the Marina Bay circuit in one minute, 42.584 seconds, more than half-a-second quicker than Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo’s 1:43.115, with Hamilton only managing 1:43.288 for third place.