Hamilton teases ‘interesting’ reason for Mercedes crew-swap

Hamilton can only win the title if he wins the race and Rosberg does not finish on the podium – while Rosberg will claim his maiden title if he finishes in the top three.

“It’s none of what you just said”, Rosberg said.

The move was made because Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff felt that shuffling staff around in such a manner would prevent the two sides of the garage splitting into factions. While Rosberg stuck to the same well-worn mantra of taking it one race at a time and not thinking about the title (even when just one race remains on which the title rests), Hamilton was laid back and willing to further from the script in his responses.

Rosberg can become champion during the race if Hamilton retires.

He does not need pole and can just sit behind Hamilton, knowing that the Mercedes vehicle is easily fast enough to get him on the podium.

He dismissed all notions of underhand tactics, in which he might take actions that affected Hamilton’s race and rejected one suggestion that he could “play dirty” if Hamilton passed him to take the lead.

And while McLaren still have an option to bring Button back into the fold in 2018, on Thursday the Briton sounded like a man who is ready to call time on his glittering career.

Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg decide not to handshake ahead of their press conference in Abu Dhabi. “Ferrari saw Mark Webber as a bigger threat in the championship than Vettel and they chose to cover the wrong driver”, he added.

Everyone loves an Abu Dhabi sunset.

“The main reason to turn on and watch Formula One is the fighting”.

Button announced in September that he would stand down from the McLaren team for next season, after seven years of service, with 2015 GP2 champion Stoffel Vandoorne replacing him to partner Fernando Alonso. The hugely unpopular rule was quickly abolished. If Rosberg fails to score they would be tied on points, but on this scenario he would win the title having finished second four times compared to Hamilton’s three.

And Horner says the pressure is firmly on Rosberg as he has “everything to lose”.

“I’m going to go for the race and win and do what it takes to get that”, he said, adding “within the limits of what’s acceptable”. “I’ve not thought of anything else”.

Lewis Hamilton will head into his Formula One title decider against Nico Rosberg with “double the power” after paying an emotional tribute to his mentor and friend Aki Hintsa.

“If you look at recent team spirit in team we have been fighting for three years”, said Rosberg.

Engine failure cost Hamilton a seemingly certain victory at the Malaysian GP.

Hamilton’s vehicle this season has been plagued by mechanical failures, but by contrast, Rosberg has had no reliability issues with his Mercedes Benz.

“There have been moments in the year, where I was 43 points behind, that I thought it was impossible to come back, but somehow turned it around”.