Rosberg hopes spin may dent Hamilton's confidence

Brazilian Grand Prix winner Nico Rosberg is hoping that Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton's half-spin in Sunday's race at Interlagos could knock the Briton's confidence and assist his own bid to clinch the 2014 drivers' championship.

Rosberg goes into the Abu Dhabi decider with a 17-point deficit to Hamilton, meaning the latter can afford to finish second to Rosberg there and still clinch the title. But while Rosberg accepts the situation is out of his hands, he says Hamilton's error could highlight a possible weakness in his rival.

"We saw he made a mistake, so anything can happen in the last race," Rosberg said of Hamilton's off, which came midway through his race-long pursuit of the German. "It's good to see - I hope it has slightly dented his confidence. Mental [strength] is a big part of the sport, that's for sure.

"I need to win Abu Dhabi and hope for some help from Lewis - it is close, but he must not finish higher than third in Abu Dhabi. It's difficult with the car we have. Maybe Williams can do a lucky strike or something.

"It's going to be a great battle. Lewis is a great competitor and always on the edge, so it will be an exciting race to watch in Abu Dhabi."

Rosberg insisted that learning from his defeat to Hamilton at the previous round in the United States - where he lost despite starting from pole - and improving as a driver, meant more than finally halting Hamilton's five-race winning streak.

"I don't like to speak so much about momentum, it's just learning and becoming a better driver and that's what I managed to do [in Brazil] so I'm happy about that,” he added.

"I progressed from Austin, managed to understand what I need to do better and that worked out really well, so onwards and upwards in this direction. All I can do is relax just as I have been doing, come to Abu Dhabi in full attack mode as I have done at the last couple of races. It will be a good fight."

Rosberg needs to finish fifth or higher at Yas Marina to have any chance of securing a first drivers' championship, though even victory would not earn him the title should Hamilton follow him home in second. Unlike Hamilton, he has never won in Abu Dhabi, but did have the upper hand over his team mate last year, finishing third to Hamilton's seventh.