Thursday’s FIA press conference – part 2

Title rivals Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton attended a special press conference ahead of the Abu Dhabi showdown.

Q: We’ll start with you Nico. How are the nerves? Compared to the 2014 Championship showdown are you feeling more confident this time?

Nico ROSBERG: It definitely helps to have been there, done that, y’know? This is the third time that we’re fighting for the Championship and the second time that it’s gone to the wire so for sure that helps to feel more relaxed.

Q: It’s been quite a year for both of you obviously. Which race of Lewis’ most impressed you so far?

NR: Wow, that’s a bit of a question. I’ll need a bit more time to get into that because I don’t know really, I’m not thinking back. Of course, he’s done a great season, there’s been a lot of great races that Lewis has done, for sure. He’s been a great competitor, tough opponent as always, as was to be expected also. Yeah, but for me it’s just a focus on this weekend.

Q: Same question to you Lewis. Which race of Nico’s this season has most impressed you?

Lewis HAMILTON: I haven’t seen any of his races, so…

Well, the performance, in other words, on any particular weekend.

LH: I can’t really remember. Same as him. He was quick in lots of different places. I don’t think there’s one that particular stands out.

Q: OK. We were just talking with Kimi Räikkönen, his 2007 Championship very unlikely given you and Alonso were leading going into that race. Another unlikely one was here in 2010, where Vettel was the least fancied going into that weekend and he came out as the World Champion. Do you take confidence from those two turnaround events, so say that anything is possible in this scenario?

LH: Not really ‘cos, I mean… it doesn’t really make any difference to this weekend.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Seff Harding – Xero Xone News) Good afternoon, this question is for Lewis. Lewis, if you win this weekend this in win number 53, you inch closer to Schumacher’s record. If things don’t go the way you hope you will this weekend, would that be a bittersweet ending to the season for you?

LH: Well, firstly Michael’s a long, long way away, so it will be a millimetre step closer to Michael. And if I… that’s my sole goal this weekend, is obviously to win the race. Nico’s been really quick here the last couple of years so it’s something that… it will be a challenge for sure but one I’m certain that I can face head on and do well. In terms of the Championship, if it doesn’t go the way I’d hope, well, the Championship generally hasn’t gone the way I’d hoped up until now. So 2016 has generally not been a spectacular year but there’s been lots of positives to take out from it and either way I will take all the positives into next season.

Q: (Andrew Benson – BBC) To both of you, Lewis has obviously had worse reliability this year out of the two of you and would be leading on points even if Malaysia hadn’t happened. Nico, how would you feel about the perception that that’s facilitated your championship win if that’s the way it happens. And Lewis, how do you feel about that too.

NR: Of course I’m aware of how the season has gone for both of us but those thoughts… first of all the season isn’t even finished. We still have one race to go so it would be premature to get into any such discussions but anyways, such thoughts, I don’t have them at the moment, in any way because for me it’s about concentrating on myself this weekend. I’m excited because it’s the last race, fighting for the Championship again with Lewis and yeah, so I’m just really focussed, trying to get the job done. I really would like to win this race and finish the season with a win. That would be awesome.

LH: Well, I mean… I don’t know. For me it’s… as I said, it’s been a challenging season in terms of having the ups and downs that I’ve had but I think that I’ve really managed to strengthen. In terms of turning negatives into positives, this year has been a real challenge in terms of strengthening that tool and being able to do so. So I’m really proud of what I have achieved. There have been moments where in the year where… 43 points behind, thought it was impossible to come back but somehow turned it around. I’ve been 33 points behind and almost turned it around. So, I think this year has generally shown that, for me… continued to show me that anything’s possible if you put your mind to it. I’ll keep the facing the races that are coming with that mentality.

Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) Nico, is this the most important ever for your whole family?

NR: Ha! That’s a pretty easy one to answer. First of all I’m surprised you didn’t pull out a statistic. That’s very surprising. Secondly, no, for sure it’s not the weekend for my whole family, that’s very, very easy to answer, and that has become more clear also with the birth of our daughter.

Q: (Jerome Pugmire – AP) Question for Nico, given that you’ve finished runner-up twice and are in a dominant position coming into this race, if you do finish second, would this be the most bitter of the three runner-up positions that you’ve had.

NR: Again, why…? That’s not going to make me go faster to have such thoughts y’know? About something that might or might not happen in the future. For me what’s important is now. And that’s worked for me until now, and that’s why I’m in this position, fighting for the Championship right here, because of that approach. So I’ll stick with that, continue and focus on a race win this weekend. That’s it.

Q: (Jonathan McEvoy – Daily Mail) To Nico. Can you say that you won’t get involved in any dodgy driving or with it all on the line is it no-holds barred in this last race?

NR: Again, it’s none of what you just said. It’s going to be a weekend like any other where I’m going to go for the race win and do what it takes to get that. And that’s it.

So whatever’s needed to do it, is it?

NR: Within the limits of what’s acceptable of course.

Q: (Kate Walker – motorsport.com) I’ve got a question for both of you. It’s been a close-fought season with the advantage swinging in both of your favours. What would each of you say was your best and worst drive of the year please.

NR: If it’s OK I’m just going to dig into the best, I prefer that one. One of the highlights for me was Singapore definitely this year because it was just a weekend I really… in an important part of the season also which really went my way. In qualifying then in the race the pressure from the Red Bull and still getting the win. In the end that was one that I really like to look back on.

LH: Can you remind me of the bad races I’ve had? I’m sure there’s been some bad ones but I can’t… someone. Seriously. I don’t want to just discard the negative ones but I need a bit of help with the memory. Singapore. Baku as well – that wasn’t really might fault, I had a dodgy engine setting. I think it’s important for me definitely to try to remember the negative ones because those experiences are generally what help you realise, or appreciate more, the wins. I’m sure there’s been… if I look at Japan for example. Getting off the line terribly, there’s been several races like that but regardless of those really bad starts I’ve always come back through with a fighting spirit and that for me is something to be proud of when I finish the race. That I’ve given it everything, regardless of the stumble or the mistake at the beginning. One of my favourite races was Monaco, I think. In tough, tricky conditions in the rain in Monaco and then wet to dry, staying out ahead of Daniel was a serious challenge and one I really loved.

Q: (Simon Lazenby – Sky Sports) Lewis, you mentioned your starts there. If you aren’t to go on to win this championship, will you look back and how much responsibility personally will you take for it, along with perhaps the reliability issues that have cost you?

LH: I won’t really look back. When I get to the end of the season I’ll be looking forwards. I generally don’t dwell to much on the past. I can barely remember the races so there’s not really much to look back on and dwell about. But you know I’ve learned a lot this year, grown a lot, my relationship with my engineers, my new mechanics that I have, that relationship has also grown a huge amount, so there has been lots and lots of positives. …

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