FORMULA 1 - 2015

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WILLIAMS PREVIEW THE JAPANESE GRAND PRIX

If you ask any Formula One driver to list their favourite tracks, the Suzuka Circuit will always feature high on the list with its traditional features and unique circuit of eight layout.

It’s a narrow, high speed circuit with very little run off and is therefore the ultimate test of man and machine. Sector One is a particular highlight with high speed changes of direction placing a premium on aerodynamic downforce.

Rob Smedley: “The Japanese Grand Prix is a great circuit and well suited to our car. In qualifying last year we showed great pace and dominated the second row. The team continues to get stronger throughout this year and we can go back there expecting another good performance. It’s important to capitalise on our car performance and score more points than our closest rivals. It’s one year since Jules’ accident so it will be difficult to head back there. We will be remembering the incredible talent and great guy that he was.”

Valtteri Bottas: “The Japanese fans are the most fanatic in the world. They support you in a unique way, so it’s always a pleasure to go there. As a track it’s one of my favourites and I really enjoy the old-school fast corners. The first sector stands out as the most fun. The weather can always play a part so you always need to keep that in mind strategy wise. We will be going to Suzuka confident that we can be competitive and get a strong result.”

Felipe Massa: “Suzuka is like Spa in that it’s a historic track with fast corners, varying terrain and quick changes of direction. It isn’t the easiest track but that’s why the drivers enjoy it so much. The Japanese fans are very dedicated to Formula One and are very friendly which creates a very welcoming atmosphere. The weather can play its part and be very unpredictable but we need to make sure that we are competitive whatever the conditions.”

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MERCEDES REVEAL THAT MANOR ENGINE DEAL IS REAL

Mercedes is now all but confirming that it will begin to supply engines to the backmarker Manor F1 Team as from 2016.

As well as running its works team, the German marque already supplies its industry-leading ‘power unit’ to customers Williams, Force India and Lotus.

But with Lotus set to be bought by Renault, Mercedes chief Toto Wolff declared in Singapore that “If Lotus goes to Renault, this (Manor) is definitely an interesting team.

“It is a real racing team that is soundly financed,” he told the German news agency SID. “And maybe they will have a cooperation on the chassis with Williams, which then makes it even easier because Williams is also a customer.”

Niki Lauda, the Mercedes team chairman, also confirmed the news, telling the German broadcaster Sky that Mercedes has a “fourth team” for its power unit next year.

Lauda insisted there were never serious talks to supply engines to Red Bull next year, partly because its owner Dietrich Mateschitz was always reluctant to work with the three-pointed star.

“That is why time passed and we had to decide who we are supplying engines to,” said the triple world champion.

So if Manor now becomes Mercedes-powered, a door could open for the German camp to slot its official reserve Pascal Wehrlein onto the 2016 race grid.

Wolff is reluctant to talk about it, “As important as the subject is. Pascal needs to focus at the moment on winning in DTM. Then we will see if we can accommodate him in formula one.”

With just two rounds to go, German Wehrlein, 20, leads the DTM standings for Mercedes by 14 points.

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Singapore track invader could face six months in prison

A 27-year-old British national has been charged with committing a 'rash act' that endangered safety after he invaded the Singapore Grand Prix circuit during Sunday's race.

Singapore's Strait Times reports that Yogvitam Pravin Dhokia appeared in court on Tuesday, charged with interrupting a national event, which resulted in the deployment of the Safety Car so Mr Dhokia could be safely removed.

It's reported that bail was set at S$15,000 (£6,800), which Mr Dhokia couldn't pay and was therefore remanded in custody whilst investigations continue. His passport has been impounded and a second hearing is set for October 6th.

He could be sentenced to six months in prison and face further fines of S$2,500 (£1,140).

Singapore race organisers could also face sanctions after photos showed marshal posts unattended, allowing easy access to the circuit.

Race winner Sebastian Vettel, who was the first driver to come across the track invader, said he had to look twice as he couldn't believe what he had seen.

"I had to look again because I wasn’t sure whether I had a problem with my eyesight or I saw somebody crossing the track," he joked.

"I went on the radio and said ‘some guy’s running across the track!’ I think I saw him taking a picture. I don’t know. I hope it was a good one at least. I hope it was in focus!"

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Vettel passes Senna before Hamilton reaches him

Ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix the possibility Lewis Hamilton might match his hero Ayrton Senna’s career statistics of 41 wins from 161 starts became a focal point.

There was so much anticipation about this potential aligning of the stars it was almost bound not to happen. Instead Sebastian Vettel took the victory – and by doing so became only the third driver in the history of Formula One to win more races than the great Brazilian three-times champion:

Driver Wins Starts Wins per team

1 Michael Schumacher: 91 Wins, 306 Starts, Wins per team - Benetton (19), Ferrari (72)

2 Alain Prost: 51 Wins, 199 Starts, Wins per team - Renault (9), McLaren (30), Ferrari (5), Williams (7)

3 Sebastian Vettel: 42 Wins, 152 Starts, Wins per team - Toro Rosso (1), Red Bull (38), Ferrari (3)

4 Ayrton Senna: 41 Wins, 161 Starts, Wins per team - Lotus (6), McLaren (35)

5 Lewis Hamilton: 40 Wins, 161 Starts, Wins per team - McLaren (21), Mercedes (19)

Astonishingly, Vettel is not yet halfway towards Michael Schumacher’s record. Asked after the race if he could ever think of reaching the record, Vettel admitted “Prost’s is in sight” but doubted he could emulate Schumacher.

“I’m 28 so I’m not the youngest any more especially if the kids start racing at 17 now,” said Vettel. “But Michael’s is just ridiculous: number of wins, number of poles, number of fastest laps. I think all the statistics you can go for you compare yourself to him or anyone to him, so I think that’s far away.”

Vettel’s third win of the year means he has now scored as many victories as Nico Rosberg this season. He also took his first pole position since 2013, the 46th of his career.

This was Ferrari’s first pole position since the 2012 German Grand Prix, ending a 60-race long streak for them without starting from the front. This was the longest pole drought in their history – one more than their 59-race race run without a pole between the 1990 Portuguese and 1994 German Grands Prix, though that covered a longer time period.

Singapore kept up its record of seeing the Safety Car appear at least once in every race it has held, which helped Vettel lead the race from start to finish. This has only happened twice this year and it occurred in the last two races, Hamilton having done so in Italy.

However Vettel narrowly failed to claim a ‘grand slam’ as he was beaten to the fastest lap of the race by Daniel Ricciardo. The Red Bull driver set a 1’50.041 on the 52nd lap which Vettel came within 0.028s of on his next tour, but was unable to beat.

Vettel did sustain his streak of top-two finishes in Singapore, however: this was his sixth in a row.

One of the two Safety Car appearances in Singapore was caused by someone wandering onto the track. Curiously, two other instances of the same thing happening at Hockenheim in 2000 and Silverstone in 2003 also resulted in wins for Ferrari.

Mercedes fell one short of the pole record held by Williams

Mercedes’ mystifying loss of pace meant several of their success streaks were halted. Their run of 23 consecutive pole positions came to an end one shy of the all-time record held by Williams. However they did establish a new record for most consecutive pole positions for an engine manufacturer: 31, beating Renault’s previous record of 24 (they powered all those Williams pole positions).

Hamilton failed to get an eighth consecutive pole which would have tied Senna’s record. He was off the front row for the first time in 20 races, which is the second-longest streak of all time, again behind Senna who managed four more.

Hamilton’s retirement meant he failed to score points for the first time in 19 races. That’s his best-ever run of points scores but is eight shy of Kimi Raikkonen’s record of 27. This also means there are now no drivers who have completed every racing lap this year: Vettel has the most with 789.

Finally, Alexander Rossi became the first American driver to start an F1 race since Scott Speed in the 2007 European Grand Prix. Following that race Speed lost his place in the team to the driver who won yesterday’s race.

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Wolff explains Red Bull engine deal refusal

Mercedes' director of motorsport Toto Wolff has elaborated on the marque's decision not to provide engines to Formula 1 rivals Red Bull, hinting at the need to protect his own team's competitive interests.

In an interview with F1.com, Wolff said: "We decided with our board that we as an engine supplier - and as a team - have worked hard and long to achieve the success we have today, after taking the decision to enter the sport again as a works team in 2010.

"Therefore we decided against exploring an engine supply to Red Bull.

"We wish to continue with our model to support independent, privateer racing teams - and to respect the relationships we already have in place with our customers."

Mercedes' refusal has left Red Bull with a choice of either seeking an engine deal with Ferrari for 2016 or opting to quit the sport altogether, something it has threatened if it is not given performance parity with the Ferrari works team.

But while the latter situation could see the grid shrink by four cars, with Toro Rosso also poised to pull out of the sport in the event of the energy drink giant not getting its way, Wolff is adamant Mercedes is in the right in turning Red Bull down.

"I have never hidden my opinion," he said. "It is the opinion of somebody who is responsible for the Mercedes motorsport program, responsible for 1,200 employees and who also has the responsibility to represent the Mercedes-Benz brand in the right way in Formula One‎ - and to make sure it is represented in the right way by others, too."

Customers treated equally

Williams driver Felipe Massa admitted last weekend in Singapore of being unsure if his team would receive the latest specification of Mercedes engine, which was trialled for the first time at Monza, but Wolff insisted that this would eventually be the case.

"We have the philosophy of supplying the same specification of engines to all," clarified the Austrian.

"There might be exceptional situations, like the one in Monza recently, where we carry out development work that needs to be checked on track - and therefore the supply of parts is very difficult."

Referring to the failure that prevented Nico Rosberg from finishing at the Italian track, he added: "I am not sure if our customers would have been happy with a car stopping because they ran a development engine!"

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Red Bull will quit F1 if it doesn't get Ferrari works parity

Red Bull has delivered a clear message to Formula 1 chiefs that it will quit the sport unless it is guaranteed engine performance parity with the Ferrari works team.

While team boss Christian Horner has talked of positive progress in negotiations with Ferrari to land a customer deal for 2016, the energy drinks giant made clear on Tuesday that even remaining in F1 is far from certain.

In fact, in an editorial written on its own website Speedweek, it suggested that company owner Dietrich Mateschitz and his motorsport advisor Helmut Marko were edging closer a decision not to continue in grand prix racing at all unless certain guarantees were met.

Although there were no direct quotes from Mateschitz nor Marko on the specifics, the appearance of the strong story on Red Bull's own media platform indicates clear approval of its stance.

The team and energy drinks giant has used the Speedweek platform several times this year to get its messages across.

Quitting Formula 1

The story said: “For those among us who have listened closely to what Red Bull chief Dietrich Mateschitz and his motor sports consultant Dr. Helmut Marko said recently and who interpret it correctly and put together one and one, a clear scenario emerges: Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso will pull out of Formula 1 after the 2015 season.”

In reference to the prospect of a customer engine deal, the story added: “Red Bull doesn’t want to have customer engines that have 30 to 40 hp less and can be manipulated by the constructor in case of the customer team endangering the works team.”

Then in perhaps what was the clearest message of all: “Red Bull would like to continue in F1 only if Ferrari is willing to provide true works engines that are on the same level as the engines of [sebastian] Vettel and [Kimi] Raikkonen.”

Not customers

Mateschitz has been clear since the start of the year that Red Bull would not continue in F1 with a customer engine deal.

Hopes of a Mercedes deal have fallen through, and Ferrari's negotiations have yet to reach fruition – and there is of course no guarantee that the Italian manufacturer will want to provide Red Bull with exactly the same power units.

It is unclear also too how Ferrari will react to effectively being held to ransom over giving Red Bull an engine deal that risks its own competitive position.

In the Speedweek article, Mateschitz was quoted as saying: “As a customer team you will only get an engine that is good enough to take away points from their immediate rivals. But this engine will never be good enough to beat the works team.

“With such a customer engine we will never be world champion again. And if that’s the case we lose interest.”

Toro Rosso out too

Although Red Bull's concerns about not fighting for the championship with a customer engine may not be as relevant for Toro Rosso, it has also been made clear that Mateschitz would see no point in keeping that team on the grid either.

The article added: “A partial pull-out with Toro Rosso remaining in F1 is off the table now, too.

"Why should Red Bull want to develop talents like Verstappen and Sainz when there is no possibility to have them make a step internally in the footsteps of Vettel, Ricciardo and Kvyat?”

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Japanese GP - Suzuka, a unique track

Suzuka is one of the true classic circuits on the calendar, very technical and complex. That’s why it’s one of the drivers’ favourites and Sebastian Vettel is definitely of that opinion. “Suzuka is one of the favourite tracks for the drivers because it’s fast and flowing, with a lot of high speed corners, especially in the first sector with the double esses. It’s very nice, because you really feel you can push the car to the limit”.

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Japan will prove if Ferrari has title chance - Christian Horner

Red Bull boss Christian Horner thinks the Japanese Grand Prix will prove whether Ferrari can genuinely challenge Mercedes for the title at the end of this season.

Former Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel took Ferrari's third win of the season in Singapore as Mercedes suffered a bizarre and dramatic downturn in performance after struggling with the softest tyres in Pirelli's range. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has said the team expects to return to the top of the pecking order in Japan, where it will have the benefit of harder compound tyres.

With Vettel now 49 points behind Lewis Hamilton, who retired in Singapore, Ferrari has an outside chance of making life difficult for the world champions in the remaining six races if it retains its dominant position from Marina Bay.

Asked if Ferrari has a hope of winning the title, Horner replied: "I think it's a long shot, I think it's easy to get carried away in the moment. What was difficult to understand is the fact that Mercedes have struggled to be competitive [in Singapore]. If that carries through into next weekend then Ferrari has a chance. If it is back to business as usual, then it becomes very much a long shot."

Singapore also saw Red Bull return to the podium for the first time since the Hungarian Grand Prix, with Daniel Ricciardo finishing second behind Vettel. Horner is pleased Red Bull has used both opportunities this season to prove the strength of the RB11's chassis.

"For us, we always knew Hungary, Singapore were going to be good opportunities for us and on both those races we finished second, unfortunately to a Ferrari. They've represetned the best chance for the chassis to demonstrate what its capable of. We've demonstrated quite clearly that the car is working very well.

"The circuit's coming up, Abu Dhabi, Sochi, Mexico, looking at the layout, are the tracks that are going to be harder for us. Two weeks ago we were fighting a Sauber, this weekend we were fighting for pole position and victory, so it demonstrates how circuit layout affects the performance of the car."

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F1 Japanese Grand Prix: Mercedes to try Rosberg's damaged engine

Mercedes says it is planning to run Nico Rosberg's damaged engine during free practice for the Japanese Grand Prix in the hope it will limit his chances of a penalty in the final rounds.

The updated power unit was installed for the Italian Grand Prix, but had to be replaced when it developed an issue in qualifying, forcing Rosberg to revert to a five-race old engine in Monza, which subsequently failed and forced him to retire.

With Rosberg now on his fourth and final engine of the season, he would ultimately face a grid penalty if Mercedes was unable to salvage the damaged unit and the German wasn't able to run his current unit to the end of the year.

With this in mind, Toto Wolff says the plan is to get it out on track again during free practice at Suzuka with a view to potentially using it again.

“We put it in the car on Thursday and we switched on the engine and ran it and it looked okay,” he said. “We didn't want to ruin Nico's Friday in Singapore by eventually having a problem on the engine.

“So we took it out and put the new one in and as it looks like at the moment, we are going to run it on Friday in Suzuka, but it is not 100 per cent."

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F1 Japanese Grand Prix: Boullier seeks reliability cure for McLaren

Eric Boullier is demanding McLaren Honda cures its reliability woes ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix but is bracing for another difficult race weekend.

The Woking-based team suffered its fourth double retirement of the year in Singapore with both Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button failing to reach the chequered flag due to gearbox problems.

The F1 paddock gears up to transition from one of the slowest races of the season into the fastest at Suzuka and Honda's first home race since its return to the sport.

The McLaren racing director says it will be an 'extra-special' occasion at its second home race but needs his team to improve its reliability if it is to put on a good show in front of Honda chiefs.

“Since it's the home of Honda returning there this year will be even more emotional than normal,” Boullier said. “First and foremost, to give ourselves any kind of fighting chance next weekend we must focus on our reliability after the disappointment in Singapore. From Marina Bay, one of the lowest-speed tracks on the calendar, we go to Suzuka, one of the fastest, so preparation will be key.

“It'll be interesting to see how the drivers and cars cope with the challenge of the downhill grid, and the famous figure-of-eight Suzuka circuit is always a fantastic spectacle in front of the most enthusiastic fans we see anywhere in the world.”

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MARKO: THE CURTAIN MAY GO DOWN AFTER ABU DHABI

Red Bull are serious about pulling both their teams out of Formula One if they cannot obtain a competitive engine for 2016, their motorsport consultant Helmut Marko said on Wednesday.

The Austrian, who is close to the energy drink company’s billionaire owner Dietrich Mateschitz, told the official Formula 1 website that the prospect could not be ruled out.

“There is an option to stop F1. That is a scenario. If we don’t have an engine that allows us to compete at the very front we will prefer to stop,” declared the former grand prix racer.

“If we don’t have a competitive engine there is no future in F1 for Red Bull Racing. The curtain may go down after (the season-ender in) Abu Dhabi. That is Mr Mateschitz’s opinion,” added Marko.

“He knows that it costs the same amount of money to race at the front or, like we are now doing, in the ‘premium midfield’ — and he is not willing to do that for another season.”

Red Bull have Australian Daniel Ricciardo and Russian Daniil Kvyat as their drivers while sister team Toro Rosso have the exciting young pairing of Dutch teenager Max Verstappen and Spaniard Carlos Sainz.

Mateschitz has already said the fractured partnership with Renault, who powered Red Bull Racing to four successive drivers’ and constructors’ championships from 2010, will not continue next year.

“Renault couldn’t provide us with an engine that enabled us to run at the front. It’s that simple,” said Marko.

Red Bull have failed to persuade champions Mercedes to supply them while Honda, returning this year with McLaren, have the least competitive engine of all.

While there has been speculation that Volkswagen-owned Audi could eventually take over Red Bull’s team, leaving the energy drink company as sponsor, that is not a short-term solution.

“I don’t think that they (Audi/Volkswagen) have a ready engine concept in their drawers. Yes, the rumours are there – and, of course, it would be great if another engine manufacturer would join. But right now that is all crystal ball reading,” commented Marko.

That leaves Ferrari, and Marko said they had discussed the situation but a deal had yet to be agreed and Red Bull wanted a similar engine to the one used by the Italian team rather than anything less powerful.

Ferrari have won three of the 13 races so far this year, with Mercedes otherwise dominant.

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HAMILTON: I’M NOT CONFIDENT WE WILL BOUNCE BACK IN JAPAN

World championship leader Lewis Hamilton was giving mixed messages this week in the wake of Mercedes’ mysterious slump during the Singapore Grand Prix weekend.

The otherwise-dominant German squad was suddenly slower not only than Ferrari but also Red Bull on the floodlit streets, and it doesn’t know why.

“Singapore was a strange weekend but I’m chilled about it,” Hamilton was quoted as saying in an official team press release on Wednesday.

“It’s been an incredible season so far and I’ve been around long enough now to accept that you can’t win them all. So it’s just a case of leaving that weekend in the past and moving on to the next one,” he added ahead of the Japanese grand prix.

However, free of the constraints of a press release, British newspapers have quoted a much more alarmed Hamilton as he eyes his diminished 49 point advantage over dominant Singapore winner Sebastian Vettel.

Asked if he is confident Mercedes will bounce back in Japan, Hamilton said: “I don’t have any confidence. I don’t have any information to give me that confidence. I’m hoping it’s a one-off but it was a very, very strange weekend to say the least.”

In the official release, Mercedes chiefs Toto Wolff and Paddy Lowe did not reveal a cause of the Singapore slump.

“The performance in Singapore was far below expectations and left us with plenty to think about moving forwards. But move forward is what we will do,” said Wolff.

And with just two days to go before practice starts at Suzuka, Lowe added: “We came away from the weekend with plenty to analyse to ensure we come back in better shape for the future.”

Hamilton, meanwhile, told the newspapers: “I told my engineers I would like some information about what they think it was. But there’s not a lot of time before the next race.”

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MATESCHITZ: RED BULL CANNOT ENTER SOAPBOX CARS

Red Bull is stepping up its Formula 1 quit threat by putting pressure on the sport’s authorities, and potential supplier Ferrari to commit to a deal for 2016 and beyond.

At present, the energy drink camp is in the throes of divorce from Renault, but Mercedes’ Toto Wolff has confirmed that the German carmaker is not interested in bailing out Red Bull and Toro Rosso with an alternative supply of ‘power units’.

“We decided two weeks ago against exploring an engine supply to Red Bull,” Wolff declared on Tuesday to F1’s official website.

Struggling Honda is not yet offering customer deals to teams, and so the only other engine option for Red Bull is Ferrari.

But there is some uncertainty about whether the Italian outfit will offer the full ‘A’ spec of its turbo V6, and Helmut Marko has said that any other scenario would be unacceptable to Red Bull. So the final option for Bull is to quit.

“What shall we do without competitive engines?” team owner Dietrich Mateschitz is quoted by Speed Week, a Red Bull-linked publication. “We cannot enter soapbox cars.”

Team boss Christian Horner said after Singapore that F1 officials like Bernie Ecclestone might need to step in, and he now says that the onus is also on Ferrari.

“If Ferrari wants there to still be a Red Bull in the championship, they should give us engines,” he is quoted by Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Horner said he is confident Ferrari will play ball, describing president Sergio Marchionne as “broadminded and a true sportsman. He indicated earlier this year that he would like to take a step like that,” added Horner.

“I don’t think there should be any fear that we would beat them. I see it that Ferrari would have two very strong teams to hunt down what until now has been a superpower in the form of Mercedes,” said Horner.

And if Ferrari simply says no, Horner warned: “Then Red Bull would have a big problem. Formula one too.”

But he said that does not mean the VW Group – newly embroiled in the global emissions scam – or Audi will step in to the rescue. “That is only paddock speculation.”

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PROST: I WILL NOT BE THE TEAM BOSS

Multiple world champion and Renault ambassador Alain Prost has played down reports he is set to return to Formula 1 as a team owner.

The paddock grapevine has suggested that as Renault looks to acquire Lotus, the deal will involve Prost stepping up his current ambassadorial role to actually buy into the Enstone team.

Auto Motor und Sport says the buyout deal is now basically done, with Renault having signed a letter of intent. It is said that the full formalisation of the project could now take a further six weeks.

As for Prost’s role, it has been rumoured that Prost could take up a position similar to that at Mercedes for fellow F1 legend Niki Lauda, who in 2013 bought into the team and is currently the non-executive chairman.

Prost told German television in Singapore that “I will not be the team boss”.

While it is expected that Prost, 60, will have a prominent, Lauda-type role, the quadruple world champion has clarified that he is not buying into Renault’s works team.

“It was never planned that way,” he said. “I have never asked for Renault shares.”

And he also urges the media to be cautious in its buyout reports, insisting: “It makes no sense to talk about something before it is 100 per cent for sure.”

In 1997 Prost bought the Ligier team from Flavio Briatore and later changed the name to Prost Grand Prix. Despite ambitious plans the team ran out of cash and closed its doors in 2002.

In October 2013 Prost would joined forces with Jean-Paul Driot’s DAMS racing team to form e.dams, a team which participates in the FIA Formula E Championship for electric racing cars.

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MERCEDES SEEKING TO BOUNCE BACK AT SUZUKA

Mercedes go into Japanese Grand Prix weekend hoping to show that their baffling lack of pace in Singapore was just a one-off but Lewis Hamilton and team mate Nico Rosberg need some convincing.

“I don’t have any confidence. I don’t have any information to give me that confidence,” world champion Hamilton told British reporters when asked how confident he was that Suzuka would be different.

“I’m hoping it’s a one-off but it was a strange weekend to say the least. Our car has not got slower. I think some other people might have brought an upgrade package… but that doesn’t explain it,” added the Briton.

Eclipsed in qualifying after 11 poles in 12 races, Hamilton suffered his first retirement of the season in Singapore and saw his lead over Rosberg cut to 41 points with six rounds remaining.

On a tight and twisty circuit, the previously dominant Mercedes was a second and a half slower than Sebastian Vettel’s winning Ferrari.

The heat and slow nature of the track may have played to rivals’ strengths, but there will be worried faces among the championship leaders until at least Friday practice at Suzuka and possibly beyond.

The Japanese circuit is both fast and demanding, with the flat-out 130R curve a stand-out feature, and should be much more to Mercedes’ liking. If Ferrari are quicker there too, then the fight is really on.

“To be so far off the pace all of a sudden, to not understand it, that’s really bad because then how are you going to improve it?,” asked Rosberg, who finished fourth, after Sunday’s race.

“You just hope that at the next track it’s going to come towards us again. The chances are extremely good, because at all other tracks we’ve been so fast, but who knows?”

Red Bull principal Christian Horner, whose team have been rebuffed by Mercedes in their quest for a new engine partner, expected to see the champions pick up speed but hoped a different scenario might evolve.

“It’s quite confusing to see them so far off but maybe some of the new changes that have been introduced tyre-wise may have had an effect, who knows?,” he said. “I’m sure we’ll see maybe business as usual next weekend. If it’s not, then it’s obviously something that’s been introduced that’s affecting their performance.”

Singapore was Hamilton’s chance to equal the 41 wins of his late hero Ayrton Senna and he has every chance of doing that on Sunday, even if from one more start than the great Brazilian triple champion.

In other respects, he and Mercedes will be starting over after falling just short of the all-time records for most individual and team pole positions in a row.

But the Briton, winner of seven races this season and still firmly on course for a third title, can consider himself fortunate, “The car broke down… and I didn’t lose a huge amount of points to the guy who’s right behind me. It could have been a lot worse, so I’m looking at the glass half-full.”

The Suzuka weekend will be a tough homecoming for Honda, whose return as engine partners to McLaren has been painfully uncompetitive, even if Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso can count on plenty of local support.

The race could also be a farewell from Button, a winner at Suzuka in 2011, to his Japanese fans if speculation that he is set to quit the sport at the end of the season are accurate.

It will also be emotionally charged for the entire paddock, returning one year on from the late Jules Bianchi’s horrific accident.

Japanese Grand Prix Statistics

• Lap distance: 5.807km. Total distance: 307.471km (53 laps)
• Race lap record: Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) one minute 31.540 seconds (McLaren, 2005)
• 2014 pole: Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1:32.506
• 2014 winner: Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes
• Start time: 0500 GMT (1400 local)
• Tyres: Hard (orange), Medium (white)
• Mercedes have had seven one-twos this season and won 10 of the 13 races. Double world champion Hamilton has won seven. No driver has ever failed to take the title after winning eight or more races in a season.
• Four-times world champion Sebastian Vettel has won three races for Ferrari this season, including the most recent in Singapore last weekend. That is the same number that Michael Schumacher won in his first season at Ferrari in 1996.
• Vettel now has 42 career wins and is third on the all-time list, behind Schumacher (91) and Alain Prost (51). Hamilton is on 40 and Fernando Alonso 32. Kimi Raikkonen has won 20 races, Jenson Button 15 and Rosberg 11.
• One more win for Hamilton would equal the career tally of the late Brazilian triple champion Ayrton Senna, his boyhood idol.
• Ferrari have won 224 races, McLaren 182, Williams 114 and Red Bull 50. Mercedes have won 39.
• McLaren have not won for 51 races, a run that dates back to Brazil 2012 and is the team’s worst since they went 53 races without a win between the 1977 Japanese Grand Prix and 1981 British GP.
• Mercedes saw their run of 23 poles in a row end in Singapore last Sunday, one short of the record of 24 set by Williams in 1992-93.
• Hamilton has been on pole in 11 of 13 races this season. The Briton has 49 career poles, Rosberg 16.
• Vettel’s pole in Singapore was his first for Ferrari and 46th of his career. It was also the Italian team’s first since Germany with Alonso in 2012.
• The last non-Mercedes pole before last weekend was Austria last year, with Felipe Massa for Williams.
• Only two drivers in F1 history have had 50 poles or more – Michael Schumacher (68) and Senna (65).
• Hamilton’s run of seven successive poles and 19 front row starts ended in Singapore.
• Nine drivers from five teams have been on the podium in 2015: Hamilton, Rosberg (Mercedes), Vettel, Raikkonen (Ferrari), Valtteri Bottas, Felipe Massa (Williams), Daniil Kvyat and Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) and Romain Grosjean (Lotus).
• Hamilton, Rosberg and Vettel have shared the podium in six races.
• Singapore was the first time since Spain 2013, 46 races ago, that two Ferrari drivers had been together on the podium and second time in 2015 with no Mercedes driver in the top three.
• Ferrari have not won at Suzuka since Schumacher in 2004.
• Vettel has won four of the last six Japanese Grands Prix. He has also been on pole in four of six. Only Schumacher (six times) has won more Japanese GPs.
• Hamilton (2007 and 2014), Alonso (2006 and 2008), Button (2011) and Raikkonen (2005) are all past winners in Japan.
• In 26 races at Suzuka, the winner has come from the front row on 22 occasions and been on pole in 12. Raikkonen is the standout exception, winning from 17th on the grid in 2005.
• Five of the last 10 winners have started on pole.
• There have been 30 Japanese Grands Prix since 1976, four of them at Fuji.
• Sunday’s race will Max Verstappen’s last as a 17-year-old. The Toro Rosso driver turns 18 on Sept 30.
• Alonso’s retirement in Singapore was his sixth of the season — the same number he had in five seasons with Ferrari between 2010 and 2014.

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RENAULT PREVEIW THE JAPANESE GRAND PRIX

The strong braking, frequent acceleration and high speed sections of Suzuka take fuel consumption to the upper limit, but there are plenty of opportunities for the K and H to recover energy under braking and therefore recharge the battery, bringing the fuel consumption within the allowed limits.

Similar to Silverstone, engineers may use the practice of ‘overloading’ where slightly more fuel than necessary is put into the ICE. Running the ICE at a higher average fuel flow produces more overall power, which in turn allows the MGU-K to recover more energy to recharge the battery in order to match the driver demand, which leads to a better lap time.

Remi Taffin, Director of operations, “Suzuka is one of the toughest circuits of the year for the power units. It has just about every type of corner imaginable, from flowing radial turns to hairpins and chicanes, and fast swoops. The average speed is also very high and top speed peaks at over 340kph, so every part of the units is put under pressure.

The result in Singapore shows that the performance is there and having introduced new parts earlier in the season we are confident in the reliability, but also the flexibility we have in our engine plans. While we are expecting Mercedes to be back on form in Japan we are hopeful we will be close enough to use the improved performance to get some good results.”

Renault has won 10 Japanese Grands Prix. The first came in 1992 at the hands of Riccardo Patrese, with Damon Hill winning in 1994. Michael Schumacher took victory in 1995, and Hill again in 1996. Fernando Alonso won in 2006 and 2008 while Red Bull Racing have stood on the top step four times.

Renault has also powered 10 pole positions at the track, including five consecutive poles for Red Bull Racing between 2009 and 2013.

Suzuka is known for being a championship decider and Sebastian Vettel became the youngest back-to-back champion, and youngest double champion in F1 history in 2011.

The Japanese Grand Prix has been held at two tracks in its history ; the figure-of-eight Suzuka Circuit we visit this year and the Fuji Motor Speedway named after Japan’s most famous mountain. However a third Japanese track has also hosted a round of the championship. Aida, a twisty, remote track close to Kobe hosted the Pacific Grand Prix in 1994 and 1995.

The ‘94 race was held early in the season, but the 1995 event was third to last, having been moved to the end of the year following the Kobe earthquake. The season shuffle saw Aida play a decisive role in the title race, as Christian Blum, a Renault engine engineer dedicated to the Benetton team at the time, remembers:

‘Aida was one of the last rounds of the season in 1995. We went there with Michael (Schumacher) in a position to win the drivers’ championship for the second time, but the first with the Renault engine. Damon Hill still had a mathematical chance of taking the title, but we knew it would take a lot of bad luck for us to lose.

‘The race weekend turned out to be a microcosm of the season. Williams were always strong in qualifying, but we were stronger in the race. Yet again the Williams locked out the front row of the grid, with David Coulthard outqualifying Damon Hill this time. Michael was third, then the two Ferraris, the Jordan of Eddie Irvine and finally the sister Benetton of Johnny Herbert in seventh. To win the race we needed a good strategy, particularly as Aida was a notoriously difficult track to overtake on.

‘This was one of the advantages of the Benetton team. Remember this was the days of mid-race refueling so there was everything to gain by being creative. Ross Brawn was an excellent strategist and had developed sophisticated programmes that took into account tyre degradation, fuel consumption, track position and other variables. It is standard stuff now, but at the time it was very, very clever. We knew that Williams had the same engine as us, and arguably a more technically advanced chassis, but they were very conservative in their pit strategies. Ross knew this, and saw an opportunity to take advantage.

‘The race got underway. Coulthard led from pole, but Michael tried a move on Hill. It didn’t stick and he dropped back down to fifth behind Hill and the two Ferraris. We needed a good strategy to move up; Michael had already tried a move on Damon but it hadn’t worked. Then Hill, Alesi in the Ferrari and Michael came in on the same lap. They came in with Michael last of the three, but rejoined with Michael in front!.Michael was now fourth behind Coulthard, Berger and Herbert. He started to put in the fastest laps, closing the gap, and made his second stop. Knowing Coulthard was on a two stop strategy, and that he had a third stop to make, Michael went faster still. When he made his third and final stop he was over 20secs ahead and able to exit in the lead.

‘It really was a testament to how Benetton worked as a team. Ross Brawn knew when to take risks, but he also knew when to push Michael to go faster. They probably could take credit for inventing the undercut we use today: stop early, take track position and then put the hammer down. Michael knew when to respond, how to conserve his tyres and wait for the right time, but he was a very willing contributor to the strategy too. They had a real dialogue about the calls and, very often, made the right ones. The calmness with which they made them was impressive – when you listened on the radio, it was as though they were talking in their lounge about sport!

‘Michael held on to take the win, and his second title. We were absolutely delighted. The competition between the engine teams at Williams and Benetton was extremely fierce and sometimes got quite heated! Everyone knew that Williams had the best car and other teams, such as McLaren and Ferrari, had better budgets. But Benetton knew where to make a difference. Where they could compensate. For example, there was no point spending more millions on aero when you could make up the time in pitstops. So they trained and trained and invested in the best equipment. As a result it was very gratifying to take the title as everyone in the team, Renault included, had worked exceptionally hard.

‘For Renault, taking a second title justified our investment. The decision to supply Benetton had not been an easy one and there was certainly a lot of resistance to it from Williams. It wasn’t easy as the teams were essentially each other’s main opponent. But they could not have been more different – on the one hand Williams was the traditional British team, on the other Benetton was run by a flash Italian with a penchant for fashion, polo, girls, music…

‘But we made it work in both cultures. In 1995 we won 16 of 17 races between Williams and Benetton and took 16 of 17 poles. The following race in Suzuka we went on to win the constructors’ title and the satisfaction was complete. But my overriding memory of that season is the party after the drivers’ title in Aida. The track was in a remote location and everyone was staying in guest houses some way from the track. There was the drivers’ hotel at the circuit though so Flavio reserved the entire restaurant straight after the race. On one table you had Flavio, Michael and the Renault bosses. On another table there was Johnny’s crew. We finished in the early hours of the morning, still in our team kit. It’s still my best-ever memory from the sport. We had worked hard, as a team, and got the result we wanted.’

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HONDA POWER MAY BE ONLY OPTION FOR TORO ROSSO

Auto Motor und Sport have reported that amid the Ferrari and Red Bull negotiations the Maranello marque may simply not have the time or capacity to also equip Toro Rosso.

Hence prompting ‘engine silly season’ speculation of Honda power being an option for the energy drinks’ junior team. As the works team, McLaren is reportedly opposed to the idea of customers at present, but the FIA may be pushing for Honda to start pulling its weight by also working with other teams.

An FIA source said: “The special status of the exclusive contract (for McLaren) was for one year only, and a concession to Honda to facilitate their entry.”

Selling to Toro Rosso may also help Honda out financially, particularly as McLaren-Honda’s woeful performance in 2015 is set to cost the team millions in lost prize and sponsor money.

“We have to compensate somehow for the losses,” McLaren team boss Eric Boullier said. “But that is not to say that Honda must automatically pay for it.”

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MERCEDES MAY IMPOSE TEAM ORDERS IF NEEDED

After Mercedes’ baffling performance slump at the Singapore Grand Prix, team boss Toto Wolff is no longer ruling out team orders.

Earlier, Wolff said he would continue to allow the silver-clad drivers to duel freely at the front, while Nico Rosberg insisted he is not worried Lewis Hamilton’s championship lead would lead to a team pecking order.

But in Singapore, Mercedes suddenly slumped, inexplicably falling behind not only Ferrari but also Red Bull.

Team figures have said they do not even know why it happened, or whether it will be resolved for this weekend’s Japanese grand prix.

And so, suddenly, Wolff is no longer ruling out team orders in order to protect the growing threat posed particularly by Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel.

After Singapore, Vettel is now just eight points behind Rosberg, and 49 behind championship leader Hamilton with six races to go.

“If the gap is much smaller at the end, we would think about it,” Wolff told Bild, when asked if the issue of team orders is now back on the table.

On the other hand, the German said Mercedes needs to “remain calm” after Singapore and trust in the performance of the car, which until now has been utterly dominant.

“The car is the same. We have not lost any performance,” Wolff said.

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HAKKINEN BACKS VERSTAPPEN AFTER TEAM ORDER

Former double Formula 1 world champion Mika Hakkinen says he is increasingly impressed with Formula 1’s teenage sensation Max Verstappen.

The young Dutchman was back in the headlines after the Singapore grand prix, not only after fighting through the field from dead last but also for defying Toro Rosso’s team orders with a loud and clear “No!”

“No driver likes to let anyone past, even if it is not about a world championship or even a win, but only a few points,” said Hakkinen.

“Verstappen only turns 18 next week,” he told the Finnish newspaper Ilta Sanomat, “but the guy is turning into a really tough professional.

“Young people today are developing at an incredible rate,” Hakkinen added, “and I do not just mean the drivers.”

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HAKKINEN RELATES TO MERCEDES AFTER SINGAPORE SLUMP

Formula 1 world champion Mika Hakkinen says Mercedes’ performance problem at the Singapore Grand Prix is perhaps not as unique as it seemed and recalls a similar incident during his career.

The otherwise-dominant team’s sudden slump on the floodlit streets was fuel for F1’s usual conspiracy theorists, with some surmising that Pirelli may have supplied the ‘wrong tyres’ as payback for the Monza pressure saga.

“I don’t believe we got the wrong tyres,” Lewis Hamilton insisted on Tuesday. “I’ve never heard that in F1 before.”

Indeed, former two-time world champion Hakkinen says he experienced a similarly inexplicable loss of performance in the past.

“I remember I had the same type of problem in the Argentine grand prix,” the long-time McLaren driver told Finland’s Ilta Sanomat newspaper.

“Although we were clearly the best car, we just had no grip in the front end. The car was sliding in each corner,” Hakkinen recalled.

“Mercedes had a bit of a similar situation in Singapore and didn’t know what to do about it. I listened to the team’s conversations and no clear reason has been found.”

He is sure, however, that full silver service will be restored this weekend at Suzuka.

“Singapore is a fairly special place and clearly the track just didn’t work for them. I believe they will return to the top at Suzuka, but definitely Ferrari and Red Bull will be more enthusiastic and motivated now after what happened,” said Hakkinen.

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Bernie: Catch-22 for Ferrari boss over RBR deal

Bernie Ecclestone claims Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne "would love" to power Red Bull, but he is "frightened" he might damage his own team if their rivals become more competitive.

Red Bull are on the lookout for a new power unit supplier as their relationship with Renault is set to come to an end after the 2015 season after the French manufacturer failed to them with fast and reliable engines the past couple of years.

Mercedes were initially in the running to take over from Renault, but the German company’s board turned down the chance as they want to continue their model of keeping the works outfit their primary focus while supporting independent, privateer racing teams.

It has since been confirmed that Red Bull have held talks with Ferrari, but it has emerged that the Milton Keynes-based squad want parity with the Scuderia's works team in terms of engine performance.

F1 ringmaster Ecclestone says Marchionne is in a difficult situation as Red Bull could turn out to be faster than his own Ferrari squad.

"For Formula 1, he [Marchionne] would love to do it, to get Red Bull competitive with an engine, but he doesn't want to damage the team he runs," he told Autosport.

"If Red Bull get [a better] engine then they are obviously going to be competitive, it's an obvious concern, but he's frightened he's going to upset his team.

"It's now down to Sergio to make up his mind, and I'm sure it will be sorted out shortly one way or the other."

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Watson: F1 will miss ‘nice bloke’ Button

Former McLaren driver John Watson believes that Formula 1 will be worse off if Jenson Button retires from the sport.

It is expected that Button will announce his retirement from F1 at this week’s Japanese Grand Prix, bringing to an end a 16-year career that included a World Championship title in 2009.

The Briton is a popular figure both in the paddock and with fans, and Watson has admitted that his exit would leave a void.

“He is a human face to a paddock which is a bit anodyne nowadays. The paddock will be poorer without him,” Watson told Sky Sports.

For Watson, Button represents a rare breed of racer who has been able to compete at the top of the field while maintaining a friendly, professional demeanour off it.

“He’ll be remembered for being a nice bloke and for genuinely being quick – the two don’t normally go together,” said Watson.

“He has been a pleasure to work with from the media’s point of view. He has always been a smiley face during the good times and bad, he’s been a great advocate of the sport and he will be missed by a lot of people – the fans still like him, the people at McLaren still like him. He has brought the sport a lot.”

David Coulthard has echoed Watson’s sentiments, calling Button one of F1’s true stars.

“Button is, without doubt, still delivering behind the wheel and equally he is an asset to McLaren and to the sport itself,” Coulthard wrote in his BBC column.

“He is one of F1’s main stars – one of only a handful of drivers who, when they walk through an airport or other public place, will be recognised.

“Losing him would leave a void in F1 before another star emerged to replace him alongside drivers such as Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel.”

The Scott added: “I just hope that, if he has decided to go, he gets a chance to be celebrated and clapped off the stage at the end of his career.

“A driver and man of his calibre deserves to be sent off with a standing ovation, not slope off into a winter of uncertainty.”

Button made his F1 debut for Williams at the 2000 Australian Grand Prix, and has gone on to make 278 starts, registering 50 podium finishes and 15 race wins, while claiming the World title in 2009.

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Sergio Perez confirmed at Force India for 2016

Sergio Perez will remain at Force India in 2016, the team has confirmed.

Perez said the announcement “means I can simply focus on the important stuff – driving the car and scoring points for the team”.

“Since coming here I’ve really grown as a driver and I feel I’m performing at my best. I’ve always said I want to establish myself in a team and it’s the right moment to announce my commitment for the future with Sahara Force India.”

Perez joined Force India at the beginning of last season after leaving McLaren. Team principal Vijay Mallya said Perez has “done a fantastic job for us already and when we give him a competitive car we know he can get the job done”.

“He’s also got a great attitude and never gives up – it’s that fighting spirit which fits well with this team. You only have to look at his results in the last three races to see that he is performing at the top of his game.

“It’s an exciting time for Sergio, especially with the upcoming race in Mexico next month, and with our close connections to the country I’m sure it will be a highlight for everybody in the team.”

Force India will have an unchanged driver line-up next season, have previously confirmed Nico Hulkenberg will also remain with the team.

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Horner admits VW/Audi interested in Red Bull deal

Christian Horner has finally admitted that Volkswagen/Audi have shown interest in taking over the Red Bull Formula 1 team, but says no deal has yet been agreed.

Former team owner Eddie Jordan recently claimed that the German car giant - currently the worlds largest - has agreed in principle to take control of the team in 2018.

However such reports are "wide of the mark" according to Horner, but discussions have taken place with the Briton admitting VW has shown interest.

"I think it is great that VW have been showing interest in F1," he is quoted by Motorsport. "But it is all pure speculation at the moment.

"Even if they were to decide to commit to F1, you are looking at a minimum of two to three years before being able to produce a competitive engine."

Whilst VW are likely to have bigger issues on their hands at the moment with an emissions scandal in the United States, which some media outlets claim could cost the company upwards of $18 billion (£11.7bn), it's unlikely to sway their F1 decision.

If a deal does go ahead, Red Bull will likely run Ferrari engines for two to three years, giving VW time to develop its own.

However Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz hinted that unless they got identical Ferrari engines to the works team, they'd have no decision but to pull out of the sport, including sister team Toro Rosso.

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Williams sure it can hold off Red Bull

Williams remains confident it can hold off Red Bull in the fight for third place in the Formula 1 constructors' championship this year, despite being beaten by its rival at the Singapore Grand Prix.

The Grove-based outfit currently has a 59-point advantage over Red Bull with six races remaining, with its advantage having been cut as the result of Daniel Ricciardo's podium finish last weekend.

But with a run of tracks coming up that should suit Williams more, its performance chief Rob Smedley is optimistic that things will swing in his outfit's favour.

"I don't think we can read too much into the Singapore result, just as you cannot read too much in to the Italian GP result where we got 22 points on them," explained Smedley.

"I think they are both specialist circuits, so to try to read too much into that and say that is going to be our pace for the rest of the season is slightly naive.

"What I would say is that it is clear that they [Red Bull] have made some in-roads with that new front end and have got their car hooked up a little bit better. And it will probably for the remaining six races be quite tight. But that is fine.

"We are here to race with the best of them and it is not a problem. We will carry on developing our car as much as we can, even if the focus is on next year's car now, not only aero but mechanically as well.

"I am sure if we get everything right then I am confident we will still be third at the end of the season."

Suzuka promise

Smedley believes this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix will offer a good opportunity for Williams to stretch its advantage over Red Bull.

"The car was very good there last year in the dry – not so much in the wet," he said.

"It has got a good mix of high drag sensitivity, high engine power sensitivity and high speed corners as well. All of those things really suit our car.

"It has got to be a good race for us. I think we will have a possible advantage over the people around us in the championship and we just have to make sure we capitalise on that."