Felipe Massa is confident he can beat title rival Lewis Hamilton in Fuji this weekend as this year’s gripping world championship heads towards its climax.

Massa, now Ferrari’s only realistic title contender, was the victim of a pit-lane signalling problem in Singapore two weeks ago after driving off with the fuel hose still attached to his car. The Brazilian is confident, however, that luck will swing his way for Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix.

“At this moment he [Hamilton] has the advantage but maybe by the next race it is different,” he said. “I think he is a very strong driver. He is a very strong man and will be very hard to fight with but I think we are very strong also.

“We have shown we can have great performances as drivers, we have a great car and that is for sure the most important thing for the last three races.

“I will try to do well in qualifying, try to do a good run in the first stint and then an even better in the second and third stint.”

With three races remaining, Hamilton leads the championship by seven points but Massa insists everyone is pulling together to overhaul the British driver.

"As a team the job from all of us is crucial," he said. "Everybody is important throughout the season but they are even more important now."

Ferrari are reintroducing the traditional hand-held lollipop system in Japan and Massa believes his team have made the right move in reverting back to old.

“I think it is the right decision,” he added. “The big difference by having the lollipop is if there is a problem then the guy with the lollipop can move it and make a huge shunt with your head so that you brake.

"In terms of performance, the traffic light is quicker. We always try to get the quickest performance in every area, but unfortunately if you have a problem it doesn't help."