Sky F1's Brundle has his say on the Duel in the Desert and how Rosberg will cope with being the overwhelming title favourite
Monday 28 November 2016 11:20, UK
All the pressure is on championship leader Nico Rosberg while Lewis Hamilton has nothing to lose at the Duel in the Desert, according to Sky F1's Martin Brundle.
Rosberg, 12 points ahead of his Mercedes team-mate, just needs to finish in the top three at the Abu Dhabi GP to finally get the better of Hamilton and clinch a dream maiden title.
But while he is the huge favourite, Brundle explains that the mental burden that pressure can bring means Rosberg must remain focused and aim for the win this weekend.
"Provided his Mercedes stays reliable and it doesn't bump into anyone, it's Rosberg's to lose," Brundle said. "Lewis has nothing to lose, all he can do is turn and try to win the race in the best way he can.
"In a way, Nico has just got to follow in his wake and finish behind him. But if you play that game you can find yourself being barged out of the way by a car trying to win the race.
"So he needs to stay focused and try to win the race himself. He has all the pressure on his shoulders."
A resurgent Hamilton, who has won the last three races ahead of the German, insists he can't and won't give up as he looks to become a four-time world champion, though he admits he now needs help from elsewhere.
Hamilton also says he is "proud" of his team-mate and it is Rosberg's consistency, both with his form and car reliability, has helped him flourish in 2016 along with a calm, measured attitude off the track.
"Nico says he will take it one race at a time," added Brundle. "He's had that mantra for some time and it's working for him."
Addressing how he will approach Sunday's race, Rosberg explained: "I am where l am because of a certain approach I've taken to this season and that's been to keep it simple and take it race by race - and that's what l am going to do again this weekend."
