Japanese Grand Prix Questions

Can Mercedes recover?

Mercedes are desperate to put their Singapore nightmare quickly behind them, so a race just a week after is the perfect scenario.

Despite the gap between Ferrari and Mercedes around Marina Bay, only the very brave would dare suggest that this is a sign of things to come for the rest of the season. Mercedes are still the big dogs in 2015.

In Japan last year they dominated and Lewis Hamilton has a special love for the track, which is a favourite among drivers.

However, rain is on the horizon and this is likely to level things up and bring Ferrari and Red Bull back into play.

With Sebastian Vettel a master of rain and Daniel Ricciardo ruthless when he has a sniff of a win, it could be another tough weekend for Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.

If Mercedes struggle to re-assert their authority on the grid and fail to win for a second race in a row, serious questions will be asked.

Will Button call it quits?

A few days ago it seemed inevitable that Jenson Button would call time on his F1 career and drive off into the sunset.

Now, who knows?

Jonathan Neale, McLaren’s chief operating officer, has come out and claimed that the team still want to keep the 2009 champion, who has a contract for next season.

Button is unloved by the top brass at the team, who remain keen to promote either Kevin Magnussen or run-away GP2 championship leader Stoffel Vandoorne, while the 35-year-old may decide that trundling around at the back is not for him and a media career could be preferable.

But surely McLaren will improve? And surely there is a better way than this for him to go out.

All could be revealed this weekend. The media claims Button is about to call it quits, but it’s thought that he could be persuaded to stay.

Lotus future remains very uncertain

Things have turned very ugly for Lotus in the month since Romain Grosjean secured their first podium of the season.

Their financial difficulties have reached breaking point and on Thursday they were locked out of their motorhome yesterday, while their freight arrived late following cash-flow problems.

To make matters worse they have now lost their star driver for next season, with Grosjean expected to announce that he is joining Haas F1 on Tuesday.

With a long-haul flights to Mexico, USA  and Brazil, and then back to Abu Dhabi still to come before the season is out, it is plausible that Lotus may not make the end of the campaign.

If a deal is going to be struck with Renault for next year then it better be done soon, or another team could disappear out of the sport.

✅ Check out more posts with related topics: