Heading into the penultimate race of the season at the Brazil Grand Prix, Hamilton trails his Mercedes teammate by 19 points, which was a massive 33 after the conclusion of the Japanese Grand Prix.
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Rosberg, who can clinch the title by winning Sunday’s race no matter where Mercedes team-mate Hamilton finishes, posted the quickest lap of the weekend so far with a 1m11.740s effort.
Interlagos in Brazil (between the lakes) is a different kind of track.
“I think it will be a very special weekend for me, for my last home race”, he said.
Can Sao Paulo storms help Hamilton?
“And then I managed to get here and win two races here in Interlagos, getting a lot of times on the podium so it’s definitely a fantastic place for me”. This time he comes on the back of two successive wins and, like Rosberg, seeking a hat-trick.
Rosberg has been coming out second best to Hamilton since Lewis’ disastrous engine failure in Malaysia, having been forced to settle for P2 in the U.S. after a badly timed VSC put paid to his alternate strategy and having been simply bested by Hamilton in Mexico.
One man who has won in Brazil is local favourite Felipe Massa.
Only three drivers in history have more than Rosberg’s two Brazilian grand prix wins, and both victories have come in the last two seasons.
“I’ve lost many races and championships in my career so it’s not like I’ve never experienced it”. But I am so happy for everything.
Verstappen was non-plussed by the affair, though, brushing off Wolff’s thoughts when talking to NBCSN after qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix on Saturday.
Sebastian Vettel, meanwhile, will have to watch his mouth following an expletive-laden outburst against race director Charlie Whiting in Mexico.
Hamilton, on the other hand, thrives in wet races.
The Mercedes driver’s duel has occasionally turned ugly.
However, Whiting detailed the differences between the two incidents, showing the packed room video footage to support his argument. Who knows, they’re in a good auto and that means if someone does have a problem there’s a big chance that the other guy is going to get maximum points.
“It’ s been a good day”, Hamilton said. I’ve got a penalty.
“I don’t think of anything in terms of what to lose”, he said.
But while Rosberg holds a 19-point lead in the drivers’ standings, rain is expected to play its part during Sunday’s race.
The season has been an intriguing one with the advantage swinging between the German and British drivers.
Ricciardo maintained his stance that the stewards were right to penalise Vettel for his driving.
“I don’t agree with the decision that was made. And that gives me confidence”. “If I don’t waste thought on the title, why on earth would I waste thoughts about partying?”
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Rosberg looked slightly more serious, but was showing no signs of tension as he approached his first title showdown race as favourite to lift the crown.
