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Focus on ... can Hamilton fight back?If full points had been awarded after 40 laps of the Malaysian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton would be heading to Japan with a five-point lead over teammate Nico Rosberg. Instead he arrives in Suzuka 23 points adrift of his title rival, wondering if (not when) his luck will change. His engine failure in Sepang was a bitter blow, but it by no means represents championship point to Rosberg. One hundred and twenty five points are still up for grabs over the remaining five races and one failure or accident for car No. 6 could swing the championship momentum the other way in the space of a Sunday afternoon.But even without fate intervening, if Hamilton goes on a three-race winning run -- something that he has made look like childs play in the past -- he will go into the final two races with just a two-point deficit to Rosberg. Far from being over, the final few races of 2016 look set to be classics and each of them will be crucial to deciding the outcome of this years title.In need of a winOK, weve cheated a bit here as this section is usually titled In need of a podium. But a Hamilton victory this weekend would be so significant for the title race that we couldnt resist. Remarkably, his last race victory was over two months ago in July, but as anyone who has followed the last four races knows, that only tells part of the story. In Malaysia he reacted to his Singapore disappointment with a dominant display in qualifying and the race, and he should be even more pumped up this weekend.In need of pointsSince Hondas significant engine upgrade at the Belgian Grand Prix, the McLaren has emerged as a contender to be the fourth fastest car on the grid behind Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari. Force India and Williams tend to be the teams to beat and the accolade switches between the three depending on circuit characteristics. However, Fernando Alonso has been talking up his chances for the last few races and comes to Suzuka with a new updated power unit at his disposal.ESPN predictionLast week we tipped Hamilton to bounce back from his Singapore slump with victory in Malaysia and it didnt go so well. But rather than be discouraged, were going to stick to our guns and pick him to win again in Suzuka.BettingLewis Hamilton is 11/10 to win on Sunday, while Nico Rosbergs odds are slightly longer at 15/8. Daniel Ricciardo is 6/1 to make it back to back wins, while Ferraris odds continue to get longer at 20/1 for Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen at 28/1. Both McLarens are 100/1 to create history by winning in front of Hondas home crowd. Slightly more realistic bets include Daniil Kvyat at 9/1 for a top six finish in the Toro Rosso and both Haas drivers to finish