[morini]

I don't think anyone has Ferrari down as favourites in Suzuka to be fair. Sure, it has some high seed sections, but the Degnas in particular and the run up the hill in S1 through the esses should all be Merc, Merc, Merc. The hairpin should also favour Meredes. However, it's clear the Ferrari is a much improved car, no question, so what a lot of people are rightly interested in is how well Ferrari go here, because if they're fastest over one lap in Japan then it's fair to say that they'll be finishing the season with the fastest car. Mexico and the CotA will also tell us much about the resurgent Ferrari, and might point towards next years car for them.

I'm tipping Merc at Suzuka, not least because even though Ferrari have seemingly made great strides in the low speed the Mercedes have actually been the overall fastest car in race trim in every race since summer (yes I know they lost 3 of them). Even in quali at Sochi Hamilton was fastest in S3. Plus, Suzuka is a circuit Hamilton likes a lot.

Me saying the above probably means RBR are nailed on to win it!

Vettel already mathematically out of the WDC with a 5 races to go. That's a bloody poor performance in a capable car, sorry but it just is.