Hamilton not fazed by Singapore

Lewis Hamilton insists he is not fazed by the prospect of rain at this weekend's inaugural Singapore Grand Prix.

Having had his Belgian Grand Prix penalty appeal ruled inadmissible on Tuesday the McLaren driver holds a slender one-point lead over Ferrari's Felipe Massa in the drivers' standings with only four races remaining.

Thunderstorms and rain have been forecast for this weekend's historic night race, leading to concerns over reflection and glare from the lights off water collecting on the circuit.

However, Hamilton, who usually thrives in wet races, has every confidence in his car to perform regardless of the conditions.

"The weather forecast says it will rain all week but every time I have woken up it is dry and quite warm," said the 23-year-old.

"It has been raining in the morning but has stopped by the time I get up so hopefully it will be the same this weekend.

"We always hope for a dry race as it is a lot easier to keep the car on the track and push it to the limit.

"If we had a slower car in the dry I'd probably be praying for the rain but the fact is we have a competitive car in both conditions."

Qualifying will be crucial this weekend as, like other street circuits, overtaking opportunities will be limited in Singapore.

And for Hamilton there is one driver in particular he is hoping he does not find in front of him come Sunday.

"I'd say the hardest person to overtake is Robert Kubica," he added. "He is an unknown suspect.

"I have been racing with him since go-karts and you have to have a lot of respect for him when racing together.

"Out of all the drivers, he makes it the hardest."

With the title race so close, Hamilton sees the remainder of the season as a "four-race championship", but he is confident his team will ensure he has the best possible chance of claiming a maiden world title.

"I think we start from scratch," he said. "There is only one point so I can't say I have a comfortable lead.

"I have to look at this race the same as I have the others this season and really try to attack this weekend.

"We have a great package and we have done a great job to prepare the car and it is now down to me to give the right feedback and make sure I take the right steps over the weekend.

"I really feel confident but you can't run before you walk so we have to take our time and make sure we don't get ahead of ourselves.

"There will be a few competitors pushing for the win so we have to do the best job we can."

Team-mate Heikki Kovalainen vowed to help Hamilton in his world title pursuit - but is also hoping for success himself.

"The best I can do for the team is take as many points as possible from the other drivers," he said. "If I have a chance to win, I will take it.

"The circuit here looks great. I ran it on Tuesday and I expect it will be a very exciting race."