Sebastian Vettel has confessed that he remains inspired in his drivers' championship title fight thanks to the team spirit among the squad at Ferrari, which remains intact despite various setbacks, disappointments, and mistakes throughout the 2018 Formula 1 season which have resulted in a lot of criticism.

Schumacher, whose January 3 birthday falls four days before Hamilton's, was also 33 when he celebrated his fifth championship in 2002 - but he did it in France in July with six races to spare.

Hamilton, who in Japan on Sunday took his ninth win this year and his sixth in seven races, will clinch the title at the US Grand Prix if he wins on 21 October and Vettel is lower than second.

'I feel the media need to show a little more respect for Sebastian, ' he posted on Instagram.

"Of course, I would love to have a race right to the end. It is to be expected that being humans we will make mistakes but it is how we come through them that counts". "I have been in cross-country races when I was a kid, and I have just run out of stamina to keep going, but that hasn't been a problem this year".

"Every single race, I want battles like Monza and like the other ones that have been like that", he added.

Hamilton's fourth straight victory at last weekend's Japanese Grand Prix left Ferrari's Vettel 67 points adrift in the drivers' standings.

Briatore pointed to Vettel's heat-of-the-moment attitude at Monza - when he clashed with Lewis Hamilton on the opening lap of the race - as a case study of his weakness.

Marchionne was credited with turning around Ferrari's fortunes both from a business and sporting perspective, including the Scuderia's resurgence in the F1 world title fight against Mercedes, and with the Italian chief passing away Brawn believes it had "totally understandable" effect on the team.

"It is very hard to pass around here and follow up the hill, and with the fast corners that we have, but I thought that I could play with the vehicle and make the tyres last reasonably well", said Vettel. I think it's collectively done from everyone.

"We go to the next race and hopefully we'll put the things where we are happier with them and we'll be up there".

"This track is awesome, I'm having the best day", Hamilton whooped over the team radio not even halfway through the 90-minute session, revelling in the speed of his Mercedes as he swept round and round Suzuka's rollercoaster curves.

Nothing lasts forever but Mercedes will start 2019 more settled than those immediately below them in the pecking order, the only top team to field an unchanged lineup. Arrivabene said. "We got the news about the penalty very, very late; Sebastian was doing his job, and as far as I know, his auto was on the inside".