Rosberg will fit new engine for practice

The German was forced to abandon running of the latest updated engine after Saturday practice at the Italian Grand Prix when a problem with the cooling system caused a contamination issue.

The team is hoping that it can be brought back into action this season but, having fired it up in Singapore on Thursday, the team elected not to run it in Friday practice here.

Its decision was also prompted by the fact it did not want to fit a totally fresh power unit for Saturday morning practice.

Further work will be done in Japan next weekend, but it is expected that the Monza unit will be run in Friday practice there.

Rosberg will therefore start Singapore's opening practice session with a brand new engine, and accepts there is now a risk he could need another new power unit later this campaign that would prompt a grid penalty.

"We are not sure how compromising it will be going forward yet," said the German. "It is most likely small compromises at least, and maybe a bigger one depending. But we don't know yet."

Not giving up

Rosberg's retirement from the Italian Grand Prix, when his older specification engine failed with two laps to go, has left him 53 points behind teammate Lewis Hamilton in the title chase.

But despite the situation he finds himself in, Rosberg insists that there was no point giving up on his ambitions yet.

"Definitely not," he explained. "I have the chance – so I can keep believing or I don't.

"And I've chosen to keep believing, because it is going to help for the next couple of races and historically in sport anything can happen.

"With seven races to go, there are lots of races – so I will keep pushing with the car we have and it is possible to win every race weekend with the car I have. So I will focus on the race weekend and then see what Lewis does."

Rosberg also thinks that Singapore may not be a simple one for Mercedes, with the tighter track configuration perhaps playing to the strengths of rival Red Bull.

"There could be a couple of surprises here," added Rosberg. "For example, Red Bull, they could be a surprise here because they were quick in Hungary and even Spa in the corners.

"We need to keep an eye on them and Ferrari."