Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton speaks to the media ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix

Formula One championship leader Lewis Hamilton said he would be emotional if he matched Ayrton Senna’s 41 Grand Prix wins at Sunday’s Singapore race but his focus remained entirely on retaining the world title.

The Briton picked up his 40th Grand Prix win in Italy a fortnight ago to stretch his lead to 53 points over Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg with only six races to go following Sunday’s in the Southeast Asian city state.

Hamilton is favourite to win at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, which would mean matching Senna’s victories in 161 starts, but he said equalling the late Brazilian’s three world titles mattered more.

“It honestly doesn’t make any difference. I’m here fighting for the world championships, that’s my focus,” Hamilton told reporters on Thursday when asked if the pressure of matching Senna’s record would weigh on him.

“I don’t feel particularly under pressure this weekend but if I was to achieve the same amount at some stage, or this weekend, it would be very emotional.

“After the last race I was only notified how many races I had done and to see that almost correlated with the career that Ayrton had had. I couldn’t believe it.

“Naturally it feels really amazing. It may or may not happen this weekend, there is a serious challenge ahead of me, but I am just grateful to be up there.”

Hamilton enjoyed the perfect weekend in Monza, topping the time sheets in every practice session, qualifying on pole and then taking a seventh chequered flag of the year.

“I can’t really top the weekend I had so I guess it’s just trying to match it,” the 30-year-old said. “It’s only the first or second time I had a weekend like that in Formula One, it doesn’t come around that often.”

Singapore features 23 tight corners on a long track that often pushes the two-hour race time limit. Coupled with the heat, humidity and racing under lights it is one of the most demanding on the calendar.

Pole sitters have won five of the seven previous races there, including Hamilton last year, and the Briton was confident of adding to his impressive 11 poles from 12 races this season.

“We thought last year ‘best year ever’ but we have topped it somehow this year,” he said.

New engine, same world title goal for Rosberg

Mercedes' Nico Rosberg

​Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg will race with a new engine in Singapore this week but remained optimistic he could yet land a first Formula One world championship despite recent woes.

The German was forced to retire two laps from the end when riding in third last time out in Italy, with team mate Lewis Hamilton taking the chequered flag to stretch his lead to 53 points in the drivers standings.

Rosberg, though, was adamant that there was still enough time to catch the British driver.

“I have the chance to keep believing or not and I have chosen to keep believing because it is going to help for the next couple of races and historically in sport anything can happen,” he told reporters ahead of the race at the Marina Bay Street Circuit on Sunday.

“There are still seven races to go, lots of points, so keep pushing. With the car that we have its possible to win every race weekend which is a great feeling so focus on race weekends and then see what Lewis does.”

Rosberg endured a difficult race in Singapore last year, retiring after 13 laps having been forced to start from the pit lane following problems with his car’s steering and electronics.

That retirement allowed Hamilton to overhaul a 22 point deficit and go on to land a second world title as he won six of the final seven races with his trademark aggressive approach.

Rosberg said it was not yet time to change his racing style for the final races as he tries to emulate Hamilton’s efforts last year.

“I want to win the championship,” he said. “The feeling last year in Singapore was a lot better than now as I had 20 something points the other way. Much preferred that one.”

Rosberg admitted his chances were not aided by his need for a fourth engine of the year – Hamilton has only used three – with a 10-place grid penalty looming if he needs a fifth before the year is out.

“New engine and we are not sure how compromising it will be yet, a small compromise at least or maybe a big one, we don’t know yet,” said the 30-year-old German, who anticipated a strong challenge from Ferrari and Red Bull in Singapore over the weekend.