London: Lewis Hamilton may face ‘impossible odds’ but has vowed to ‘give everything’ to stop Nico Rosberg winning the Formula One (F1) drivers’ World Championship at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Sunday.
Hamilton has won the last three races to move to within 12 points of his Mercedes teammate Rosberg. But the German only needs a top three finish this weekend to clinch his maiden title and stop Hamilton from becoming the first British driver to be crowned a four-time F1 World Champion.
Hamilton, is the first to admit that the odds are fully stacked against him. “It’s not been a perfect season and I’m faced with pretty impossible odds no matter what I do this weekend,” he was quoted as saying by the Formula One website
“I can’t and won’t give up. You never know what might happen – however, unlikely it may seem. Rosberg had driven superbly through the year, but in F1 impossibles do take place.
“I’ll be proud of myself and what I’ve achieved as long as I feel I’ve given my all and performed at my best. Whatever happens, I’m proud of everyone who’s been a part of the success we’ve shared over the past few years. I’m approaching this weekend the same as I do every race. I want to win and I’ll give it everything to finish the season on a high,” added Hamilton who has been plagued by reliability issues earlier this season
Meanwhile Rosberg, bidding to emulate his father Keke, the 1982 World Champion, said: “In Brazil, after the race, I was joking that I would still be taking things one race at a time, but the more I think about it, the more that’s actually not as crazy as it sounds. I have to treat this like any other race, but with a lot of underlining values.”
The German added: “Nothing in this sport is easy, so this won’t be any different and I still have to go all out for a good result. I have great memories from winning at this track last year and it’s somewhere I’ve usually been strong in the past, so I have every reason to feel confident.”
In the 21-race F1 2016 calendar, outgoing boss Bernie Ecclestone had said that anybody winning nine races would surely emerge champion. Well both Hamilton and Rosberg have nine races each and yet there is still no clear winner. Ecclestone who has been in the business for more than 40 years, would probably be eating his words now.
AFP
