Lewis Hamilton has insisted that he does not feel any added pressure after topping the timesheets in both practice sessions on Friday ahead of Sunday's title decider at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The Mercedes star will win his second world championship if he finishes first or second in this weekend's race, which will award double points to the winner.
The Brit's teammate Nico Rosberg remains in contention to snatch the crown, but Hamilton currently holds a 17-point advantage in the driver rankings.
Today, Hamilton administered a psychological blow to his teammate by finishing quickest in the first practice session and 0.083 seconds faster than Rosberg in practice two on their qualifying simulations.
According to ESPN, when asked if he feels added pressure heading into the weekend, Hamilton said: "Not really, no, there's no pressure in that sense. I've just got to drive the way I usually drive and what will be will be. It's not like you have to do it or you don't have to do it, I'm just going to do the best I can.
"The car feels very good, it's the best car I've ever driven here which is good. I generally really enjoy driving this track. The balance we had today is something we can still improve but otherwise this is a remarkable job by Mercedes to arrive at the circuit with the gap, it's a true showing of how amazing this team is."
The duo, who were friends at a young age, have had numerous disputes with each other throughout the season, most notably at the Belgian Grand Prix, where Hamilton accused Rosberg of clipping his tyre on purpose after their cars collided during the race.
Danielle Joynson
