So, here we are in Abu Dhabi for the final round of this season’s championship and it is an extremely exciting moment for my career.
I am fighting for the Formula One World Championship at the last race, I have a good chance to win, and this is what I have been working towards for all of the years since I began my racing life as a small child.
Fortunately, it doesn’t feel as though it is the ultimate moment of my lifetime so far, which is good. Instead it feels like just another race. Of course, it will be very intense but I have a fantastic opportunity to win and I am raring to go.
VIDEO Scroll down to watch Nico Rosberg preview the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
I arrive at the final round of the Formula One championship battling Lewis Hamilton for this year’s title
My team-mate Lewis Hamilton leads the championship, but he has been making some mistakes recently
Nico Rosberg is pictured offering his hand to Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton in the press conference
DRIVERS’ STANDINGS
1. Lewis Hamilton – 334 points
2. Nico Rosberg – 317 points
Lewis Hamilton will be crowned world champion if he finishes second in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, even if Nico Rosberg wins the race.
If the final race was a ‘normal’ race with 25 points for the winner, rather than the double points on offer, Hamilton would be able to claim his second drivers’ title with a sixth-place finish.
In terms of preparing for this deciding race, I have done all I possibly can.
I went to the Mercedes factory last Friday and practised driving the Yas Marina Circuit on the simulator. I also debriefed with my engineers to learn as much as I could from the last race in Brazil.
Qualifying has obviously been a strong suit for me this year but I have had to work on my racing, and I was delighted that in Interlagos I took a huge step forward.
I dominated the entire weekend. I was fastest in every practice session, secured pole and then won the race ahead of my team-mate Lewis Hamilton which leaves me 17 points behind him in the race for the championship. I know that I must carry that form through to this weekend’s race in Abu Dhabi.
It goes without saying that I need some help from Lewis to clinch the title, and I am going to try and put as much pressure on him as I can.
He has been making some mistakes recently, he spun in Brazil for instance, so maybe there is a chance that he will help me out and that is what I am looking for. I am going to try to push him as hard as I can to get him to make a mistake.
It was a massive challenge for me to have Lewis stuck to my gearbox for the entire race in Brazil.
I couldn’t afford to make a single error so I tried to control the pace of the race, not go to my absolute limit to avoid mistakes, but at the same time I needed to be quick enough so he could not overtake.
I really found that balance in Interlagos and I was extremely happy about that because I didn’t manage to do it at the previous race in Austin.
But now we are in Abu Dhabi and I am looking forward to the weekend.
My wife Vivian is here to support me which is great and I have some friends coming along, too so it is going to be very nice to have all their backing.
I had team-mate Lewis Hamilton on my gearbox throughout the race in Brazil but held him off to secure a win
It was great to be back on the top step of the podium last time out at the Brazilian Grand Prix
What has been very special is the amount of support I have received via text messages and on social media. The support has been so huge which I am using as a motivational tool.
It comes from everywhere around the world, including England, and it is fantastic and it makes me very, very happy so I want to thank everyone for that.
I would also like to pay tribute to my team. For the whole year they have allowed Lewis and I to fight it out which is great and probably not necessarily what everyone expected.
We have both enjoyed a proper battle on the track and hopefully created some memorable moments for the fans – that is what is important for our sport.
As a team we have been so dominant this season so it has been important for both Lewis and I to do the business on track and up until now it has worked out really well. Let’s hope we have a good final race.
Here I am on the red carpet with my wife Vivian, and later on in the evening after receiving my Bambi award
In my opinion Lang Lang (centre) is one of the world’s best pianists. He loves his motor racing, too
Miroslav Klose is a legend for Germany and it was a privilege to meet him at the awards ceremony
Earlier this week, I received a German Oscar, also known as a Bambi award, for the best athlete and for my sporting achievements in Germany this year. It was a really proud moment.
I took to the stage just after the national team who won the World Cup earlier this year and it was an awesome feeling. I met Miroslav Klose and Bastian Schweinsteiger, who are both a great inspiration for me.
U2 were there and the best pianist in the world Lang Lang, too, both with great performances. They were incredibly passionate and Lang is really in to his motor racing.
After so many years of performing at the highest level they were still incredibly in to what they do and I am able to take and learn a lot from that.
Finally, I would like to thank MailOnline for allowing me to write a column this year and also a special thanks to all the readers who have been with us throughout the season. I hope you’ve had as much fun reading it as I have writing it.
I also hope that the money we have been able to donate to the Grand Prix Mechanics’ Trust will help the families of those people who have made such a great contribution to our sport over so many years.
VIDEO Hamilton previews F1 season finale
Nico Rosberg’s fee for his column will be donated to the Grand Prix Mechanics’ Charitable Trust, which is dedicated to providing help to former and current Formula One mechanics and their families, putting F1 mechanics throughout the world in touch with each other and raising funds to help in times of need.
You can follow Rosberg on Twitter @nico_rosberg and MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS @MercedesAMGF1
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