Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Hamilton, Rosberg fight for final glory

New Delhi: The bitter rivalry between team-mates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg enters its deciding moment at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend. As expected, both the drivers – well aware of the stakes – are not ready to give in, not even during the customary press conference.

The Mercedes pair on Thursday was present at a press conference at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi. With world title at stake, neither of them shied away from making their intent clear, and at the same time, warned each other of any mistakes, childish or whichever.

Talking about the possibility of having a session before the race on Sunday, Briton Hamilton said that “We don’t need to, its been discussed at the beginning of the season and several times during the season and particularly after Spa, so there’s no need to revisit it. We are not children, we should know what is wrong and what is right.”

Then, Nico retorted saying, “Lewis can do something to keep it clean, which is drive cleanly himself. So it’s not like he can’t do anything.” The German driver also laid down the prospects. “Lewis is a great competitor and it will hopefully be a great end to the season. I’m here to try to win the race and I need a bit of help from Lewis that he doesn’t finish second. There are many scenarios and I’m optimistic. In Brazil he made a mistake and I need to do what I can to keep the pressure on,” he added.

Going into the final round of the 2014 season, Hamilton has a 17-point advantage over his team-mate. But a disaster could spell doom for him with 50 points available to the winner of Sunday's race in United Arab Emirates.

The former McLaren driver needs to finish in the top two to win his second title in six years. It looks like a distinct possibility considering his record this season and also that of Mercedes' consistency. But, fighting for points, he and Nico have had duels, so anything can happen on the race day.

With agency inputs