Ferrari's Massa promises Fuji fightback this weekend

Ferrari's Felipe Massa warned championship leader Lewis Hamilton yesterday that the fight for the Formula One title will rage all the way to the wire.

The Brazilian trails his McLaren rival by seven points with three races left but promised to give the Briton a battle at this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix.

"This season we have shown good mental strength after bad performances," Massa told reporters. "There's still 30 points to fight for.

"We will definitely not give up. We will fight until the last lap of the last race. That's all I have on my mind now."

Massa's title hopes suffered a severe blow after a botched pit-stop meant he finished 13th in Singapore two weeks ago while Hamilton banked six points for finishing third.

However, Massa insisted he was more than capable of bursting Hamilton's bubble at Fuji Speedway, where the Briton triumphed in pouring rain last year.

"First of all we need to think about reducing the seven points," he said.

"Seven points can be nothing. Hopefully we can bounce back now and win races again."

Massa is hoping to become the first Brazilian to win the Formula One title since the late Ayrton Senna in 1991 but refused to let his thoughts waver.

"We need to think about things step by step," said Massa, whose team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, the reigning world champion, has been ordered to lift his game to aid the Brazilian's title challenge.

"First, I have to think about this weekend. Then we think about China and Brazil. If we put everything together and make it, it would be more than a dream come true.

"It would be something really indescribable for a Brazilian driver, a great country for motor sports. We had Senna, who was one of the most incredible drivers ever.

"It would be fantastic for my country. But now is not the right time to think about it."