Sebastian Vettel trimmed Lewis Hamilton's Formula One lead to 17 points with eight races remaining.
Statistics for Sunday's season-ending Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix at the Yas Marina circuit.
The Colombian has promised Williams he will do all he can to help them win the constructors' title.
Force India had something to cheer about. Paul Di Resta delivered a great result for Sahara Force India by finishing sixth, his second-best of the season, while Adrian Sutil came 10th in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday.
Fernando Alonso on Thursday refused to categorically rule out leaving current team Ferrari as soon as next season for either former outfit McLaren or reigning champions Red Bull.
Lewis Hamilton led a Mercedes 1-2 at the top of the timesheets for the first free practice session at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on Friday, while McLaren's hopes of a clean start were tempered by reliability issues.
The BMW Williams driver said he assumed he would be fit again for the last two races.
Embattled Force India co-owner Vijay Mallya will not be attending Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix but he is hoping for a change of fortune on the track at least for his Formula One team in Barcelona.
Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has dismissed as wide of the mark reports that he sprayed Russian President Vladimir Putin with the winner's champagne after Sunday's grand prix in Sochi.
Force India co-owner Vijay Mallya reminded drivers Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon that the team must take priority after a collision at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix wrecked hopes of a first win in Formula One.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Friday
Sahara Force India ended the 2014 season on a high with Nico Hulkenberg finishing the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in sixth position just ahead of teammate Sergio Perez.
German Nico Hulkenberg will drive for Force India next season, the British-based Formula One team said on Tuesday.
The win was the third of the Finn's career and season, denying Hamilton a 10th of the campaign.
British media reports have suggested the new deal could be worth up to 40 million pounds ($52 million) a year and is likely to make the four-time F1 champion the sport's top earner.
Britain's Jenson Button will stand in for Fernando Alonso at next month's Monaco Formula One Grand Prix while the Spaniard competes in the Indianapolis 500 on the same day, McLaren announced on Friday.
Lewis Hamilton is hoping rain will come to the rescue as a Hockenheim heatwave threatens to dash Mercedes's hopes of a home German Grand Prix win on Sunday.
Sergio Perez shook off the gear-box change penalty to claim his and Sahara Force India's second podium place of the season with a third-place finish at the European Grand Prix while Nico Hulkenberg took the ninth spot, in Baku, on Sunday.
'I think the team's getting stronger, pushing very hard. I think people are fired up and we are motivated for tomorrow'
Formula One title rivals Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg are under huge pressure as they enter the final straight, however much they try to hide it, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said on Friday. "I think that generally, all of us, we underestimate the pressure that is on these guys," Wolff told reporters at the U.S. Grand Prix. "It's a couple of races towards the end of the season, there is all to win and all to lose," added the Austrian in response to a question about triple world champion Hamilton's behaviour towards the media in Japan two weeks ago.
World championship leader Nico Rosberg ended the opening day of practice for the Formula One Japanese Grand Prix in a strong position after setting the pace in both sessions on Friday.
Sebastian Vettel is running out of races to record his first win of the season for Ferrari but the German is optimistic this week's Singapore Grand Prix could provide some belated success for the Italian team.
The win also set a record, one that Hamilton had previously shared with seven times champion Michael Schumacher, of 41 wins from pole position.
The Formula One season winds up in Abu Dhabi on Sunday with both titles won, Lewis Hamilton aiming to close the year on a winning note and big money still at stake for those further down the paddock pecking order.
'I think the team has obviously done a really, really great job, a lot of hard work, commitment and... things start to click'
Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne said while he supported cost-cutting, there are other strategic issues under discussion that could force Ferrari to consider racing elsewhere.
Mercedes won the Formula One constructors' title for the fourth year in a row on Sunday but Lewis Hamilton was made to wait despite cruising to a U.S. Grand Prix victory at one of his favourite circuits.
Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel refused to blame his team for a wrong strategy call after the four time World Champion missed out on an elusive first win of the Formula One season in Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix.
'I'm so grateful for everyone who helped me be here, to raise the bar and lift the cup'
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday
Lewis Hamilton will be aiming for a big win in Texas this weekend, even if the Formula One starting grid is the smallest he has ever known it with the absence of backmarker teams Marussia and Caterham.
Ferrari are giving Sebastian Vettel the Michael Schumacher treatment, according to the German's main title rival Lewis Hamilton.
German Nico Rosberg eased to victory in a chaotic Belgian Formula One Grand Prix on Sunday.
Sahara Force India had a disappointing outing as Adrian Sutil managed 14th while team mate Paul di Resta was two places below at 16th in qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, on Sunday.
Ferrari showed impressive pace during pre-season testing and are considered the team most likely to dethrone Mercedes.
Lewis Hamilton has raised his game but whether the Mercedes driver can deny Ferrari a second successive win of the season in China this weekend remains to be seen.
