Malaysian Grand Prix talking points

28 September 2016 01:08

Nico Rosberg holds an eight-point advantage over Lewis Hamilton as the Formula One title race enters its final stretch of the season.

The Sepang International Circuit plays host to Sunday's Malaysian Grand Prix for the first of six remaining races this year.

Here, Press Association Sport takes a look at the key talking points heading into the 16th round of the championship.

SINGAPORE SIGNIFICANT?

Nico Rosberg delivered arguably the performance of his career in Singapore with a crushing victory over Lewis Hamilton. While Rosberg sauntered to claim his eighth win of the season, his beleaguered Mercedes team-mate could finish only a distant third. Indeed it could, and probably should, have been worse, had Ferrari not pitted Kimi Raikkonen to cover Hamilton's late change of strategy. Now eight points adrift of Rosberg - having been 21 ahead prior to the summer break - Hamilton will be desperate to wrestle the momentum back from his sole championship rival. But the 31-year-old Briton does not sound all too optimistic about achieving such a feat. "I have no idea if the momentum will swing back to me or when it might," Hamilton said earlier this week. "We still have six races left, so I just have to keep giving it my all and hope for the best."

MERCEDES POISED TO SEAL CONSTRUCTORS CHAMPIONSHIP

While Hamilton and Rosberg battle it out for the drivers' championship, their Mercedes team seem certain to secure a hat-trick of consecutive constructors' titles this weekend. Mercedes, Formula One's all-conquering constructor, who have triumphed at all but one grand prix this year, currently hold a 222-point lead over Red Bull. They need to be 215 points clear when the chequered flag falls on Sunday. Sebastian Vettel won for Ferrari in Malaysia last year, but unless rain or unreliability strikes, Mercedes will be the favourites to extend their winning streak and land another team title this weekend.

MILESTONE BECKONS FOR BUTTON

Jenson Button will become only the third driver in Formula One history to start 300 races when the lights go out on Sunday. The 2009 world champion, who will not be racing in the sport next season after announcing he is taking a sabbatical (one which could ultimately lead to his retirement), will join Michael Schumacher (306) and Rubens Barrichello (322) as the only drivers to record a triple ton. And Button has fond memories of Malaysia after claiming his maiden podium here in 2004, while winning in 2009 en route to claiming his championship crown.

BROWN KEEN ON AMERICAN EXPANSION

Zak Brown, the potential heir to Bernie Ecclestone's throne, has called on the sport's new owners to have at least two races in the United States by 2019. Brown recently announced he is stepping down as chief executive officer of CSM Sport & Entertainment at the end of the year to further fuel speculation that he could take a leading role in Liberty Media's new tenure of the sport. And Brown believes there should be at least one additional race to the one already staged across the pond. "I don't think we'll see it in 2017 or 2018, but I'd like to think that in 2019 or 2020 we'd see a second American race on the calendar," Brown told Motorsport.com. "It's got to be a priority."

DRIVERS RACING FOR THEIR F1 FUTURES

Although the top teams have announced their driver pairings for 2017, there is still plenty of uncertainty surrounding the whereabouts of a number of drivers further down the field for next season. Among them is Jolyon Palmer, the British rookie, who has just six races left to convince Renault that he should be given another shot next season. Esteban Ocon, the Frenchman who is currently at Manor, appears set to take at least one of those seats, leaving Palmer and his team-mate Kevin Magnussen in a straight shoot-out for the remaining drive.

Source: PA