Lewis Hamilton needs to find some Zen-like mind control in Japan this weekend after a cruel engine fire left the world champion fuming in Malaysia.
As Rosberg opened a 23-point advantage in the title standings with five races remaining following his third-place finish, Hamilton raged at his misfortune and threatened to ignite a row within the Mercedes team by raising the possibility of a conspiracy against him.
"My questions are to Mercedes," the Briton demanded after Sepang, asking why of the eight cars on the grid fitted with Mercedes engines, only his have conked out this season.
"There are eight drivers and mine are the only ones who has failed. Someone has to give me some answers and it is not acceptable. Someone doesn't want me to win this year."
Hamilton has only a matter of days to dust himself down in a quick turnaround before Japan, but he can seek solace in the fact he has won in Japan three times and will be chasing a hat-trick of wins -- and the 50th of his F1 career -- in Suzuka on Sunday.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff called Hamilton's engine trouble "a freaky coincidence" and promised to fix the gremlins.
"Our guys will get to the bottom of what happened and learn from it," he said. "There is no rational explanation or pattern in these failures. We pick ourselves up, brush the dust off and look ahead to the next race."
Negative energy
Hamilton later composed himself. "Last weekend was a massive disappointment," he said Wednesday. "But there's no use dwelling on these things -- that's just negative energy.
"I will find strength from within to fight back over these next five race weekends."
During a turbulent weekend in Malaysia, Hamilton had also moaned about the "psychological effects" of breaking up his title-winning crew by switching five mechanics to Rosberg's side of the garage.
Wolff took a dim view of Hamilton's renewed criticism of a Mercedes decision taken at the start of the season.
"No footballer would tell Jose Mourinho or Pep Guardiola who he'd like to play with," he snapped. "It's the manager's call to decide who is in the squad."
After a year plagued by technical gremlins, time is running out for the 2014 and 2015 champion Hamilton to quash Rosberg's attempt to dethrone him.
The German, who had overhauled Hamilton in the title race after three straight wins, is in the form of his life and fought back brilliantly to finish third in Malaysia following a first-corner collision with Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari.
Ricciardo will be looking to build on his first victory in two years, insisting the Red Bulls can pose a threat in what is forecast to be a wet race in Japan.
"I actually think we will be more competitive at Suzuka," said the Australian, who came home ahead of 19-year-old team-mate Max Verstappen at Sepang.
"In the rain we could be very strong. If it rains I believe we can win the race. If it's dry, Mercedes would be favourites."
AFP
Wed Oct 05 2016
Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team's British driver Lewis Hamilton gestures after taking pole position during the qualifying session of the Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang on October 1, 2016. - AFP Photo/Pedro Ugarte
'No one will win a trade war,' China says after Trump tariff threat
Donald Trump says he would impose the tariffs until China stops the flow of illegal drugs, particularly fentanyl, into the United States.
What has caused Pakistan's deadly clashes between police and supporters of Imran Khan?
Topping the demands of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is the release of all its leaders, including Khan, who has been jailed on a series of corruption charges since August 2023.
One woman or girl killed every 10 minutes by intimate partner or family member - UN
The report highlights that "60 per cent of all female homicides" are committed by "people closely related to them".
Sweden urges Chinese ship to return for undersea cable investigation
Two subsea cables, one linking Finland and Germany and the other connecting Sweden to Lithuania, were damaged in less than 24 hours.
[COLUMNIST] Building more highways won’t solve traffic congestion - reducing demand will
It is clear that adding more lanes and highways doesn't work, because we are still attempting the same approach to solve the issue.
Hyundai to invest RM2.16 bil in Malaysia through strategic partnership with INOKOM
This investment includes efforts to upgrade INOKOM's existing assembly capacity to meet Hyundai's automotive needs.
‘C4Cinta’ sets record as highest-grossing Malaysian Tamil film
'C4Cinta', directed by young filmmaker Karthik Shamalan, has set a new benchmark in Malaysian Tamil cinema.
Man charged with mother's murder, storing body in freezer
The court denied bail and scheduled case mention on Feb 7 for the submission of forensic, autopsy, and chemist reports.
Abolition of examination in schools to reduce pressure on pupils - Fadhlina
The classroom assessment approach offers a much more interesting learning ecosystem, says Fadhlina Sidek.
Google, Meta urge Australia to delay bill on social media ban for children
Google and Meta says the government should wait for the results of an age-verification trial before going ahead.
Judge tosses Trump 2020 election case after prosecutors' request
It represents a big legal victory for Donald Trump, who won the Nov. 5 US election and is set to return to office on Jan. 20.
DHL plane crash in Lithuania leaves authorities searching for answers
Rescue services said the plane hit the ground, split into pieces and slid over 100 metres (110 yards).
National squad to hold friendly matches for 2025 Indoor Hockey World Cup
The warm-up matches will involve matches against better ranked teams in the world, namely Austria (first) and Belgium (third).
G7 seeks unity on ICC arrest warrant for Netanyahu
The United States, part of the G7, has rejected the ICC decision, with President Joe Biden describing it as outrageous.
Francissca Peter remembers Tan Sri Ahmad Nawab: A tribute to a musical legend
A legend who has influenced our music for decades, was one of the highlights of my career, says Francissca Peter.
TikTok decision coming soon as Jan. 19 divestment deadline looms
Judges are reviewing TikTok's challenge to a law requiring ByteDance to sell its US assets by Jan. 19 or face a ban.
Lebanese sources: Biden, Macron set to announce Israel-Hezbollah truce
In Washington, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said, "We're close" but "nothing is done until everything is done".
PM meets chaebol tycoon to attract more FDI to Malaysia
Chaebols are prominent figures from South Korea's family-owned conglomerates.
Govt won't allow non-citizen vehicles to enjoy RON95 subsidy - Economy Ministry
The implementation of the RON95 subsidy in 2025 is expected to provide savings of RM3.6 billion to government expenditure.
Ringgit opens lower as greenback gains ground
Dr Mohd Afzanizam says the market responded positively to news of hedge fund manager Scott Bessent heading the US Treasury Department.