Lewis Hamilton admits the feeling with his Mercedes was the best it had been for some time in Singapore on Friday.

The Briton posted the quickest time under the lights in second practice, landing the first blow against Max Verstappen as the pair held a healthy advantage over the field.

And back on a twisty street circuit, territory his car has been more suited than the long straights of Spa and Monza, Hamilton was falling back in love with the W10.

“I was really happy, I felt much better in the car today than I have for a while,” he stated.

“I hope that stays over the whole of the weekend. I think they redid a few patches, a few bits of tarmacs on the circuit and the tyres are working well.

“If you can get into a groove over here then it’s such a beautiful lap. I really enjoyed it."

Also Read:

• Leclerc will 'adapt' if Hamilton increases aggression post-Monza
• Hamilton insists path to a sixth F1 title not 'easy' despite points gap

Despite the smile on his face, the championship leader admits there is still work to do.

"We’ve definitely got some areas we need to improve, which is always good, and nothing is ever perfect," he continued.

“So I’ve got to go and kind of study. Areas to improve on the car but various also I could improve, some of the areas like braking and turning points, etc.

“I’m looking for that special lap that we had obviously last year and I think we got off to a good start, but still putting it all together tomorrow it’s going to be tough.

As for the threat posed by Verstappen and the Anglo-Austrian team, Hamilton might have had the edge both on short and long-run pace but he isn't taking that for granted.

“I’m not sure. I think my guys have a summary now on where we stand," he commented.

“I mean I was obviously quickest in that session but they were very, very close behind us.

“We don’t know if they’ve had a perfect lap or whether we will all turn up and then I’ll find out later.”