- Abu Dhabi GP
Rosberg: The pressure is on Lewis
Nico Rosberg insists the pressure is on Lewis Hamilton ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
Championship permutations
- Hamilton needs to finish:
First or second
Fifth or better if Rosberg fails to win
Sixth if Rosberg finishes third or lower
Eighth if Rosberg does not reach the podium
Ninth if Rosberg is not in the top four
Tenth if Rosberg cannot manage better than sixth
Rosberg needs to finish:
First if Hamilton is not second
Second if Hamilton is not in the top five
Fourth if Hamilton is no higher than ninth
Fifth if Hamilton is no higher than tenth
Rosberg cannot win if he finishes sixth or lower
Both Mercedes drivers have a chance of winning the title on Sunday evening, but Rosberg is the underdog with a 17-point deficit to Hamilton. However, he starts from pole position and if he can convert that into a win, Hamilton must finish second in order to take his second world title.
Rosberg said the situation is intense but the pressure is on Hamilton.
"For me it's intense, for sure, very intense," he said. "I'm not going to stand here and say it's a walk in the park. But it's a great moment at the same time, and that's what I'm focusing on, making the most of it, having this opportunity which is very special.
"Lewis has everything to lose, I have everything to gain, so for sure the pressure is on him. That's my opportunity, to keep the pressure on him as much as possible and maybe he will make the mistake, which we saw today for example, and in Brazil also.
"In Brazil I tried to keep the level as high as possible and push him into that mistake. If there is a Williams a bit closer it could be enough. Who knows?"
Asked if he'd rattled Hamilton by taking pole position, Rosberg said: "I don't know. I can't answer that question. What is in my hands is to keep the pressure on as much as possible.
"He's been making several mistakes lately, so those are the signs that give me hope, so I need to keep going, and who knows? Anything can happen in sport."
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
