Following the nightmare that was Singapore, not to mention the further problems encountered in Malaysia, Sebastian Vettel, clearly of the 'glass half full' as opposed to 'glass half empty' mind-set, insists the 2017 title is far from decided.

"There is always hope," he told reporters as the Japanese Grand Prix weekend got underway. "Sure, the last two races were far from being ideal, but we will continue to work hard. To bury one's head in the sand is absolutely no option. What is important is that our car is good.

"The package is right, we have all the right ingredients, now we have to bring it to the track," he continued. "And hopefully one or the other things works out to our advantage. Lately that was not really the case."

Asked, in the wake of those two 'difficult' races, whether the prevailing mood is one of disappointment or confidence, he is adamant: "Confidence," he relies. "I have never been the type who is looking behind too much. And had the last two races been fantastic, you also would not look behind saying: 'Wow, that was a ball!' I always look ahead... that keeps up the concentration.

"We are so used to hunting, after hundredths and thousandths of a second," he continues, "that this comes naturally.

"Of course, if I could choose I would want it the other way around," he admits. "But Formula One is not a request program, you have to take it as it comes. And that means if we are in the position to win a race, we have to win it!

"We are behind, so all will depend on what Mercedes is doing. And one thing is clear, we need to score more than them! How we achieve it doesn't matter, as long as we achieve it!"

Asked about his confidence for the weekend ahead, he smiles. "This is Thursday, there is still some water to run under the bridge before Sunday. There is still a lot work to be done and I am focusing completely on that and not getting lost in daydreams of what might happen on Sunday. Work is what definitely will happen in the next two days!

"It is not just that I like this track," he continues, "it is the track for me, simply because it is still a circuit in the mould of the traditional tracks of the past: a driver's track. True, we have not been competitive enough here in the last two years, so I hope this time it is different.

"All I can say is that I am fairly open minded and confident that we will have a strong package."

Check out our Thursday gallery from Suzuka, here.