• Mercedes

Rosberg pinning title hopes on Williams in Abu Dhabi

ESPN Staff
November 12, 2014 « Lopez fears for future of F1 | Double points should be scrapped in 2015 - Wolff »
© Getty Images
Enlarge

Nico Rosberg is pinning his hopes of championship success on a Williams beating his title rival Lewis Hamilton at the final round of the season in Abu Dhabi.

After his fifth victory of the season in Brazil, Rosberg approaches the last race of 2014 with a 17 point gap to his Mercedes team-mate. The double points rule at the final round means Rosberg's best chance of being crowned champion is if he wins the race and Hamilton finishes third or lower.

However, Mercedes has taken 11 one-two victories this season and in Brazil finished 30 seconds clear of Williams' Felipe Massa. In a straight fight without reliability issues, Williams has only once outqualified Mercedes this year, but Rosberg said if one of the Williams could find a way to get ahead of Hamilton it could cause his team-mate problems.

"It would be awesome if they find some magical form and somehow get ahead, and of course it's difficult to pass the Williams because it's quick on the straight," Rosberg said. "At the same time our car is so quick that it's not that likely.

"Abu Dhabi is a night race, so maybe the degradation will not be as high and the cooler temperatures could help the Williams. Who knows, maybe some factors could play into my hands."

Rosberg said his victory in Brazil had put him in a positive frame of mind ahead of the final race.

"A win like that and beating Lewis in that way is something that is very good for me. But Abu Dhabi is a race on its own and I am going there just as I have been in the last couple of races, feeling great about it and going for the win. That's what's important and I need to see if that's good enough or not.

"I'm full attack, as I was in Brazil and as I was in Austin. It's going well so I need to try and win and I'll do that and then we'll see what happens. In racing so much can happen, so I just hope."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
ESPN Staff Close