BRAZIL'S Felipe Massa insists the Formula One world championship will not be on his mind when he starts the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix from pole position on Sunday.

The Ferrari driver trails leader Lewis Hamilton by one point with four races remaining and the two will share the front row on the Marina Bay Street Circuit. Victory will enable Massa to leapfrog the McLaren man at the top of the standings.

'You really cannot think about the fact you are competing for a world championship,' Massa told reporters ahead of the series' first night race.

'I need to approach each race as they come and not lose focus and change my strategy by allowing my position in the standings to affect my tactics.

'It is important to be consistent and make sure I qualify the best I can and carry that performance onto the track during the race.'

Massa added that the Ferrari's speed, reliability and a little dose of good fortune were the keys to his hopes of winning the world title for a first time.

'You have to be quick .... If you start behind on the grid then you have no chance,' the 27-year-old said.

'You also have to be consistent and reliable, making sure you finish the races.'

'Finally, you need luck on your side. That is probably the most important key to the championship. The driver who has all three of those will probably be the world champion.'

Looking ahead to the Singapore race, Massa remains positive of his chances after grabbing pole with a stunning final lap in qualifying on a circuit that looks almost impossible to overtake on.

'It's a great feeling to start on pole in the first night race on a very difficult track,' he added.

'The race will be difficult and long but the job we did yesterday (Saturday) has put us in a strong position.'

'I did a fantastic (final qualifying) lap... didn't make a mistake and cornered perfectly. So I managed to register what I believe is my biggest gap (0.664 seconds) in qualifying compared to the second-placed car.' -- REUTERS