Foolish to write Hamilton off in F1 title battle

With just four grands prix remaining and 100 points available, Hamilton has fallen 33 points adrift of Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg in the drivers' standings.

The reigning world champion has failed to win since the summer break after heading into it with a 19-point lead following a run of six victories in seven grands prix.

Horner said: "In any sport you see sportsmen get on the crest of a wave and everything falls right for them, and it's going Nico's way at the moment.

"Lewis has had quite a few tough weekends this year, but he'll brush himself down and will fight back.

"He only needs that sniff of something - a DNF [did not finish] from Nico and a win from Lewis and he's right back in the game again, so things can change very quickly.

"We saw it with Kimi [Raikkonen] when he stole the championship from under the noses of Lewis and Fernando [Alonso] in 2007.

"There are still 100 points available in this championship and it would be a foolish person to rule him out at this stage."

LEADING DRIVERS' STANDINGS:

Pos	Driver	Points
1	Nico Rosberg	313
2	Lewis Hamilton	280
3	Daniel Ricciardo	212
4	Kimi Raikkonen	170
5	Max Verstappen	165

Hamilton recognises he now has a mountain to climb to secure a fourth world title.

"I did the best job I could in Japan," said Hamilton, who finished third at Suzuka behind race-winner Rosberg and Red Bull's runner-up Max Verstappen.

"Every point counts, and I drove my heart out to get as many as possible, but Nico did a great job and he has a healthy margin now, so the drivers' championship has got harder for me.

"I'll give it everything I've got, as I did in the race and always do.

"That's all I can do - focus on doing the best I can - so we'll see what happens."

While Hamilton has at least helped Mercedes secure a third consecutive constructors' championship, the battle for second is still on, with Red Bull holding a 50-point cushion over Ferrari.

Horner said: "The constructors' championship is where the financial revenues are distributed.

"So on top of pride there is a financial implication as well, so second is enormously important for next year's budget situation."

LEADING CONSTRUCTORS' STANDINGS: