- Abu Dhabi GP
Hamilton ignoring Rosberg's mind games
Lewis Hamilton says he is not paying attention to title rival Nico Rosberg's attempts to get in his head and is determined to do his talking on the track when he races for his second world title on Sunday in Abu Dhabi.
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
Hamilton needs to finish second to win the championship, but lost the first battle to Rosberg when a mistake in qualifying left him second on the grid behind his Mercedes team-mate. Rosberg insists the pressure is on Hamilton, saying his rival has "everything to lose", but Hamilton is trying not to be rattled by Rosberg.
"I don't really pay much attention to him, no," Hamilton said. "If I made any mistakes then it would have been the same amount as him, like he had to an extra lap on the race tyre which hopefully will have an effect for tomorrow, and that was due to a mistake, whereas my tyres are perfect for the race," he said. "But I've made very few mistakes through the year, so I'm not worried. For Nico he is trying everything possible in his head to come up with some kind of way of dealing with things. That's how he deals with it.
"Me, I just keep to myself and do my talking on the track. I know from my experiences of the past I'm better prepared than I ever have been."
Hamilton said it was not a major concern to start second on the grid.
"Getting a pole position is a great thing, it's something a driver always want to get, but as we've seen in F1 in the past, pole is not everything. It's more what you do in the race. I'm second on the grid, but it's not a bad position to be in as it's a long straight from [turns] seven to eight.
"So for me I feel quite comfortable with where I am, and I still want to win, and the confidence I have in knowing I can race helps a lot. Nico may have won the 'Pole Position Cup' - I don't mind that."
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