Sao Paulo - Lewis Hamilton expects another fierce challenge from Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg when the pair resume hostilities at the Brazilian Grand Prix with the season-ending Abu Dhabi double points lottery looming.
Only days after claiming his 10th win of the season at the United States Grand Prix in Texas, Hamilton has pledged to work as hard as possible to triumph again in his bid for a second championship.
But the 2008 champion knows that even if he wins at Interlagos on Sunday, and his German rival fails to finish, he can still miss out on the title if he flops in Abu Dhabi and Rosberg grabs double points with a victory worth 50 points in the final race of the season.
“I feel that I understand the processes that I need and I know what it takes,” said Hamilton as he looked ahead to this weekend's race.
NO SPECIAL RECIPE
“There's no real special recipe or anything like that, I'm just going to work my arse off for these next two races and try to improve.”
In Texas, he admitted that the prospect of losing the title under the double points rule in Abu Dhabi “would suck”.
Rosberg, understandably, has said he will accept the glory whatever happens Ä he just wants to be champion by any means.
“It is what it is, I don't really care,” said Rosberg. “As long as I have one point more at the chequered flag at Abu Dhabi, I don't care why or how. It's the same for everybody... It's a childhood dream, isn't it, to be F1 World Champion? It would be very special.”
Hamilton won his fifth consecutive race in Austin to open up a 24-point lead ahead of Rosberg.
“You don't really look five or 10 races ahead. I've just always kept my head down, kept chipping away,” said Hamilton.
“I had those four wins (early in the season), and then there was a bad patch from Monaco onwards.
“Then Spa was like 'I'm going to turn this up. I'm going to have to turn this up Ä this means war'. It was that kind of feeling. Reflecting on it, I turned the energy from that negative bomb into a positive.”
FIERCE, WET RACE ON THE CARDS
On paper, it looks as if Hamilton has the measure of Rosberg after dominating the last five races, but the 29-year-old Englishman will have none of that and is ready for another fierce scrap in what may be a wet race this weekend.
“I'm not sure I do have an edge,” said Hamilton. “Every weekend Nico resets. He comes in and qualifies on pole. He's massively strong, mentally. He's still there, still fighting.”
After their domination in Texas, the two Mercedes men have been left as the only contenders for the title while behind them much attention will focus on the plight of struggling teams and their prospects for next year.
A provisional entry list issued by the ruling body, the International Motoring Federation (FIA) this week included teams representing both Caterham and Marussia, even though they are both expected to be absent in Brazil where another 18-car grid is in prospect.
Marussia's entry has been made under the name of Manor Grand Prix Racing.
Entry payments are required by the end of November, by when much else Äincluding the future destinations of four-time champion Sebastian Vettel and two-time champion Fernando Alonso, not to mention the championship, will be decided. -AFP
THE SEASON SO FAR
Australian Grand Prix - March 16
Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg led from start to finish as rivals dropped out with mechanical problems and Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo was controversially disqualified from second place over new fuel rules. Pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton and world champion Sebastian Vettel both retired early, leaving Rosberg victorious by a wide margin. McLaren's Danish debutant Kevin Magnussen and Jenson Button in a McLaren took the remaining podium places.
Standings: 1. Nico Rosberg 25 points, 2. Kevin Magnussen 18, 3. Jenson Button 15
Malaysian Grand Prix - March 30
Hamilton led the first Mercedes one-two in 59 years. He streaked away from pole and was never pressured. Team-mate Rosberg was second with Vettel third. It was the first time both Mercedes drivers have led the field since 1955, when the German marque departed the sport before returning in 2010 and now confirming themselves as the team to beat in F1's new era. The win was Hamilton's first since Hungary last July.
Standings: 1. Nico Rosberg 43 points, 2. Lewis Hamilton 25, 3. Fernando Alonso 24
Bahrain Grand Prix - April 6
Hamilton and Rosberg repeated their one-two in Malaysia after a thrilling wheel-to-wheel duel as Hamilton equalled the legendary Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio's record of 24 Grand Prix victories. Sergio Perez gave Force India just their second ever podium finish in third. Ricciardo, 13th on the grid, continued his impressive start for Red Bull with fourth.
Standings: 1. Nico Rosberg 61 points, 2. Lewis Hamilton 50, 3. Nico Hulkenberg 28
Chinese Grand Prix - April 20
Hamilton sealed his first hat-trick of F1 wins and led Mercedes to their third straight one-two finish, 18 seconds ahead of Rosberg, with Fernando Alonso third. Ricciardo outran his team-mate Vettel for fourth. But there was a bizarre finish when Hamilton was inadvertently shown the chequered flag early, meaning that the race was later declared over after 54 laps instead of the 56 completed.
Standings: 1. Nico Rosberg 79 points, 2. Lewis Hamilton 75, 3. Fernando Alonso 41
Spanish Grand Prix - May 11
Hamilton took control of the title race when he made it four wins in a row by grabbing a heart-stopping victory. He finished just 0.6 seconds ahead of Rosberg. Ricciardo took third ahead of Vettel, who had started from 15th. The win was Hamilton's first in Spain and the 26th of his career. Finn Valtteri Bottas finished fifth for the resurgent Williams team.
Standings: 1. Lewis Hamilton 100 points, 2. Nico Rosberg 97, 3. Fernando Alonso 49
Monaco Grand Prix - May 25
Rosberg started on pole and claimed a faultless victory for Mercedes to regain the championship lead. The 28-year-old came home 9.2 seconds clear of Hamilton, who coped with loss of vision in one eye as he held off Ricciardo's Red Bull in the closing laps to take second. Alonso finished fourth for Ferrari.
Standings: 1. Nico Rosberg 122 points, 2. Lewis Hamilton 118, 3. Fernando Alonso 61
Canadian Grand Prix - June 8
Ricciardo ended Mercedes's dominant run as he won the first Grand Prix of his career in Montreal. The 24-year-old Australian took advantage of power problems that forced Rosberg into second place and saw Hamilton retire. The race on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve was also marred by a high-speed collision between Perez and Felipe Massa of Williams, although neither was seriously hurt. Vettel finished third ahead of Button.
Standings: 1. Nico Rosberg 140 points, 2. Lewis Hamilton 118, 3. Daniel Ricciardo 79
Austrian Grand Prix - June 22
It was back to business as usual as the Grand Prix circus returned to Austria for the first time in 11 years. Another Mercedes double with Rosberg dominant and Hamilton in second, leaving him 29 points behind the German in the overall standings. Bottas made it onto his first ever podium in what turned out to be a disastrous home race for Red Bull. For Mercedes, it was a seventh win in eight races.
Standings: 1 Nico Rosberg 165 points, 2. Lewis Hamilton 136, 3. Daniel Ricciardo 83
British Grand Prix - July 6
Hamilton delighted a 120 000 crowd at Silverstone with victory as Rosberg suffered his first non-finish of the season, due to gearbox problems, to reduce the German's lead in the title race to just four points. Hamilton came home 30 seconds clear of Bottas, who started from 14th on the grid. It was Hamilton's second home win, his fifth of the season and the 27th of his career, drawing him level with fellow-Briton and three-time champion Jackie Stewart in the record books. Ricciardo finished third.
Standings: 1. Nico Rosberg 165 points, 2. Lewis Hamilton 161, 3. Daniel Ricciardo 98.
German Grand Prix - July 20
Rosberg won his first home Grand Prix to increase his lead in the standings to 14 points ahead of Hamilton, who took third after a battling drive from 20th. Bottas took second for Williams' 300th podium finish. A dramatic race was marred by an opening lap collision with Felipe Massa's Williams somersaulting into the air.
Standings: Nico Rosberg 190 points, 2. Lewis Hamilton 176, 3. Daniel Ricciardo 106
Hungarian Grand Prix - July 27
Ricciardo charged to his second Formula One win for Red Bull, as a drenched track caused chaos among world championship leaders. Ricciardo came first ahead of Alonso in a race which saw Hamilton finish third after ignoring team orders to let championship leader Rosberg go by.
Standings: Nico Rosberg 202 points, 2. Lewis Hamilton 191, 3. Daniel Ricciardo 131
Belgian Grand Prix - August 24
Ricciardo posted his third win with a bold and well-judged drive but all the headlines were hogged by an incident on lap two, when Hamilton suffered a puncture following a collision with Rosberg in a contentious incident that added further spice to the former friends' fractious relationship and left Hamilton trailing Rosberg by 29 points.
Standings: Nico Rosberg 220 points, 2. Lewis Hamilton 191, 3. Daniel Ricciardo 156
Italian Grand Prix - Sept 7
Hamilton refused to brood on his team-mate's behaviour in Belgium and bounced back in the best style possible by outclassing Rosberg in Monza. He recovered from a poor start which saw him drop to fourth from pole but Rosberg, despite looking set to extend his lead, instead twice buckled under pressure and locked up twice at the first chicane while leading -- the second time allowing Hamilton to seize first place -- and ended up 3.1 seconds adrift in second place.
Standings: 1. Nico Rosberg 238 points, 2. Lewis Hamilton 216, 3. Daniel Ricciardo 166
Singapore Grand Prix - September 21
Hamilton regained the lead in the drivers' world championship when he capitalised on Rosberg's reliability problems to claim a dramatic victory. Hamilton led almost throughout from pole position to dominate before and after a Safety Car intervention had reduced his lead and forced him to attack again in the closing stages. Rosberg had a nightmare as he had to start from the pit lane but retired after 14 of the 61 laps.
Standings: 1. Lewis Hamilton 241 points, 2. Nico Rosberg 238, 3. Daniel Ricciardo 181
Japanese Grand Prix - October 5
Hamilton won but there were no celebrations as the race which took place in dreadful weather conditions was overshadowed by the sickening crash that left Frenchman Jules Bianchi fighting for his life with a severe head injury, just days after the 25-year-old had been talking about his hopes of driving for Ferrari. Bianchi was knocked unconscious in a high-speed crash into a recovery vehicle which was trying to remove Adrian Sutil's stricken Sauber, which had crashed at the same spot on the circuit a lap earlier.
Standings: 1. Lewis Hamilton 266 points, 2. Nico Rosberg 256, 3. Daniel Ricciardo 193
Russian Grand Prix - October 12
Hamilton reeled off his fourth consecutive victory to secure Mercedes' maiden triumph in the constructors' championship at the inaugural Russian Grand Prix. The 29-year-old, starting from his 38th pole position, cruised to the 31st success of his career to draw level with fellow-Englishman Nigel Mansell in the record books, finishing the race 13.657 seconds ahead of Rosberg.
Standings: 1. Lewis Hamilton 291 points, 2. Nico Rosberg 274, 3. Daniel Ricciardo 199
United States Grand Prix - November 2
Hamilton increased his lead to 24 points when he swept to his fifth consecutive victory and 10th of the season. He started second behind his pole sitting team-mate Rosberg, and took the lead with a bold move after 24 laps on his way to a perfectly-measured triumph nearly five seconds. It was the 32nd win of Hamilton's career, a landmark statistic that lifted him one victory clear of Mansell as the British driver with most career successes. Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo was third in a race which featured only 18 cars after Caterham and Marussia went into administration.
Standings: Lewis Hamilton 316 points, 2. Nico Rosberg 292, 3. Daniel Ricciardo 214