Formula 1 Managing Director Ross Brawn insists the championship is far from decided, even after Lewis Hamilton opened up a 28-point advantage last time out in Singapore.
Sebastian Vettel crashed out on the first lap at Marina Bay, effectively handing chief rival Hamilton a potentially a decisive victory.
Though there are just six races remaining for Vettel to claw back the deficit, starting with this weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix, Brawn is sure the German will not go down without a fight.
"Absolutely," he told Auto Bild when asked if Vettel could catch up. "Mercedes has had a run and is doing a super job, but the world championship is not decided.
"Singapore was a typical start accident, but Vettel is a fighter who never gives up. If he manages it, it will be more than deserved."
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Vettel and Hamilton have been slugging it out since the season-opener in Melbourne, with Mercedes no longer a dominant force.
Brawn, who is on a mission to restore F1's 'wow' factor, says the scrap has been great for the sport.
"Three teams are fighting for victory, which is great," he said. "Of course, I recall my time with Michael and Ferrari very fondly, but domination is always bad for the sport.
"We now have real competition, Lewis against Sebastian, which attracts the fans again. We've already seen some records at some races and if next year we provide more website content, we will raise it to a higher level again."
