Advantage Rosberg at Suzuka

LEWIS Hamilton was facing an uphill challenge to wrestle Formula One drivers’ championship momentum away from Nico Rosberg this morning after being beaten to pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix.

Hamilton, who was 23 points adrift of his Mercedes team-mate heading into today’s race, missed out by just 13 thousandths of a second to his sole title rival. The Briton, who refused to accept questions from the written media in response to criticism following his bizarre antics during Thursday’s official press conference, was bidding to bounce back from his engine horror show in Malaysia.

Meanwhile, Ferrari have cast doubt over Sebastian Vettel’s future beyond 2017 after team principal Maurizio Arrivabene called on the four-time champion to “earn” his next contract.

Vettel, who was demoted to seventh place on the grid at Suzuka after a three-place penalty for his collision with Rosberg last Sunday, has one year to run on his current deal. Following a frustrating season for both Ferrari and Vettel, Arrivabene, also under pressure over his team’s lacklustre display this year, insisted the German’s place cannot be taken for granted.

“Everybody has an objective,” Arrivabene said. “I have, the team have, Sebastian has. So it’s right everybody has to earn their position and salary. Sebastian has a contract with us. We have work to do this year, and also the next. During the season we will see.”

Vettel won three races in his debut campaign with Ferrari in 2015 after he chose to end his title-winning relationship at Red Bull.

But the 29-year-old has endured a troubled follow-up year. Strategical mistakes by his team cost him victories in Australia and Canada, and he has slipped behind his teammate Kimi Raikkonen in the drivers’ standings.