©Ferrari
Scuderia boss Mattia Binotto says that only perfect execution in all areas will allow Ferrari to defeat its rivals at Suzuka.
Ferrari hit the ground running at Spa after the summer break, with Charles Leclerc trouncing the opposition in Belgium and Monza and Sebastian Vettel ruling in Singapore.
In Russia however, despite the Italian outfit's superior level of performance, a reliability issue in the race and a mishandled strategy sidelined Vettel and put Leclerc on the back foot against the winning Mercedes pair of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas.
Binotto is confident Ferrari can outpace Mercedes in Japan, but no loose ends will be allowed for the Scuderia to triumph in the Land of the Rising Sun.
"Our performance level was good in Sochi, which is how we managed to take our fourth straight pole position, but we know that in order to be at the front in Japan, every aspect of our work must be perfect," Binotto said.
"That’s the way we are going to approach the race in Suzuka, trying to extract all the available performance from the car package.
"If we can do that, then we hope to be able to be as competitive as we have been in recent races.
©Ferrari
"Sebastian and Charles both adore this circuit," added the Swiss engineer.
"There is much that is special about it, from the sequence of corners in the first sector, to the incredible reception we get from the fans all weekend long.
"We hope they will be able to enjoy a thrilling race weekend."
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