Lewis Hamilton wants a first Japanese Grand Prix victory on the demanding Suzuka track this weekend to complete a hat-trick of wins and pull away from Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg in the drivers` championship.
The 29-year-old Briton and his German rival are trying to douse their rivalry, but with Hamilton only leading by three points with just five races remaining, the team tensions are never far from the surface.
Hamilton, however, has never won at the high-speed `figure of eight` circuit.
He won the 2007 Japanese Grand Prix when it was held at Fuji. But having grown up watching the great dramas at Suzuka, where many title battles have been settled, he has a special appreciation for the challenge of the 5.807-km track.
“Suzuka is one of the places on the calendar that drivers love the most and arguably it is one of the greatest tracks in the world,” said Hamilton, whose victory in Singapore, where Rosberg retired with electronic problems, enabled him to overtake in the championship.
