Formula One championship leader Lewis Hamilton will be tough to beat at Singapore's tight Marina Bay Street Circuit - arguably the most technical test in the sport.

Mercedes' Hamilton is one of just three drivers to have won the Singapore Grand Prix since its reintroduction in 2008 - McLaren's Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari the others - and having won three of the past four races in 2015, the 30-year-old Brit will be the favourite on Sunday.

But with Marina Bay including 23 corners - more than any other F1 track - Hamilton and his rivals will have to be fully focused despite the intense humidity to keep out of trouble under lights in Singapore.

"Any small slip and you're in the barrier, so maintaining that total concentration is crucial," Hamilton said on Tuesday.

"I've won there twice now - both times from pole, which shows you how important qualifying is too. It won't be easy to make it three - far from it. But I'm riding high right now and I'll be pushing for that hat-trick."

The past seven Singapore GPs have seen the safety car involved, including Nelson Piquet Jr's infamous crash in 2009, which was ruled deliberate and was done to benefit Renault team-mate Alonso.

Hamilton arrived in Singapore having won the Italian and Belgian GPs, taking the Mercedes driver 53 points clear of team-mate Nico Rosberg (199 points) in the drivers' championship standings.

Vettel (178) will be hoping his good record in Singapore - he won three straight races starting in 2011 - can carry on this year in order to overhaul Rosberg.

Another driver who will be looking for familiar success in Singapore is Alonso.

The Spaniard has only picked up points in two races in a tough year for McLaren but racing director Eric Boullier is confident both Alonso and team-mate Jenson Button can expect better performances in Singapore.

"We are entering a phase of the season where the circuits rely less on pure power and more on balance, characteristics that tend to suit our package better," Boullier said.

"Together, McLaren and Honda are constantly striving to improve our package and we have faith in our collective abilities to analyse our weaker areas and continue pushing forward.

"We won't make any promises or predictions, but we love this circuit and hope to put on the best show possible under the incredible floodlights of Singapore."

While critics may doubt McLaren's car, Alonso has earned points in every Singapore GP - as has Vettel, with the duo having finished on the podium five times each.

Hamilton won in Singapore in 2014, and he heads to the weekend chasing his eighth chequered flag of the season.