Rosberg: Mexico defeat down to "unique" circumstances

The German holds a 19-points advantage over Hamilton with two races remaining – having seen his British teammate take victory in both Austin and Mexico.

But despite Hamilton’s back-to-back successes pointing to the reigning champion having hit peak form ahead of the final two races in Brazil and Abu Dhabi, Rosberg thinks that too much is read into how the pair of them perform.

For rather than viewing Mexico as a sign that Hamilton has seized the advantage, Rosberg puts it down to the unprecedented circumstances of a cold weekend making it tricky for everybody to switch their tyres on.

“There is no pattern,” said Rosberg. “This race [in Mexico] was unique because the tyres were cold all weekend and made the car quite nervous, and so that was quite unique.”

Rosberg also explained that the race pace in Mexico was simply down to how drivers were able to manage stint lengths, rather than being evidence of out-and-out speed.

“What we are doing is managing the tyres to do the best possible race,” he said. “I knew the stint was going to be pretty long and, at the end, I was doing some pretty good times which meant I had to stay out longer and longer. It had nothing to do with pure performance at that point in time.”

Rosberg knows that victory in Brazil next weekend will be enough for him to capture his first world championship crown – but he insists that he is still not thinking of the bigger picture yet.

“It’s cool to be in that situation, but I never change my approach,” he explained. “That’s what feels best, where I can perform at my best.

“There are still two races to go and anything can happen in sport. So why waste energy on something like that? I just stay in the moment.”

He added: “I am going for the win in Brazil.”