Lewis Hamilton’s bid for a fourth Formula 1 world championship gained momentum with second place in the Malaysian Grand Prix, extending his lead over Sebastian Vettel to 34 points.
But Vettel’s fight back from last on the grid to fourth, on a track that was expected to favour Mercedes, gives Ferrari hope that all is not yet lost.
Kimi Raikkonen said after Singapore that it was wrong to assume Ferrari would struggle against Mercedes in the upcoming races – and his team proved that in Malaysia.
It is why the Italian outfit and Vettel head to this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix with the belief they can be in the mix for victory, despite Mercedes having won the last three races at Suzuka.
Owned by the Honda Motor Company, Suzuka represents a different challenge, with more high-speed corners than Sepang and high levels of tyre wear and degradation expected.
The unusual figure-of-eight, high downforce circuit features a mix of corners, with sweeping changes of direction, technical sections, a chicane and a hairpin.
Weather conditions can change quickly, given the venue’s coastal location, and when it rains, rivers often form across the track, increasing the risk of aquaplaning.
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A straightforward race, then, is by no means a certainty and Ferrari is hopeful it can get on top of the engine troubles that plagued both Vettel and Raikkonen in Malaysia.
Vettel knows victory was possible at Sepang had he not suffered engine trouble in qualifying. The car had the pace over one lap – Raikkonen missed out on pole position by 0.045s – and in race trim.
Mercedes would ordinarily start favourite for Japan, particularly given its recent record at the track, but its struggles in Malaysia suggest it will likely find itself in a fight with Ferrari and Red Bull.
Though Hamilton recovered from a poor Friday, when he was at a loss to explain a lack of pace, to take pole, on Sunday he could not stop Red Bull’s Max Verstappen passing him on the way to victory.
Mercedes chief Toto Wolff said his team did not have the pace to match Red Bull or Ferrari in Malaysia and it is battling to find a way to consistently get the best out of its “capricious” car.
Bottas failed to recover at any point during the weekend and admits he is facing the “most difficult’ moment of his career, having struggled in all four races after F1’s summer break.
The Finn will want to prove he deserved a contract extension for next year with a strong performance in Japan, while his team-mate Hamilton will aim to dent Vettel’s title hopes still further by beating him in a race he has won twice in three years.
Red Bull cannot be discounted, particularly after Verstappen clinched his first victory of the season in Malaysia, and could take points off Mercedes that in turn would help Ferrari’s cause.
If you want to see how the next chapter of Formula 1’s title battle unfolds and gain unprecedented access to 2017 generation of cars, the championship’s official ticket and travel provider F1 Experiences can make that happen.
Privileged off-track access is on offer, including behind-the-scenes tours of the F1 paddock and pit lane, a driving tour of the iconic Suzuka track and a ticket to exclusive Paddock Club parties.
You can also get your photo take on the podium and engage in meet-and-greets with F1 drivers past and present.
Previous driver appearances have included Sergio Perez, Nico Hulkenberg, Fernando Alonso, Romain Grosjean, Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve, Max Verstappen, Esteban Ocon.
For Suzuka, McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne, who equalled his best-ever result in Malaysia with seventh, will be on hand to answer questions and pose for photos.
Vandoorne will be in high demand at Suzuka as the race is the most important of the season for McLaren’s engine supplier Honda.
Though McLaren will hope for a good showing in Japan, particularly as it will be Honda’s last home race with McLaren before switching to Toro Rosso for 2018, it will not be in the fight for the top positions.
That will likely focus around Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull as the championship approaches its finale.
Ferrari has arguably had the fastest car in the last two races and yet scored just 12 points compared to championship leader Mercedes’ tally of 68 in that period to trail by 118 with five races to go.
A third successive failure to maximise its potential in Japan could have a dramatic impact on the Italian team’s titles aspirations.
Learn more about F1® Experiences and book your tickets now at f1experiences.com