Rosberg dropped to 24 points behind Hamilton at the last round in the United States, and whilst he cannot mathematically lose the title in Brazil this weekend, the German knows that wins in Sao Paulo and at the double points finale in Abu Dhabi still might not be enough to wrest the drivers’ crown away from his British team mate.
"Yeah, it's clear that I need to rely on something happening,” he said in Thursday’s FIA press conference, when asked whether he was reliant to some degree on luck. “For sure there's not enough for me to win, unfortunately, but that's the way it is. Anyways, in sport so much can happen, so I'm still very optimistic.
"[It is] great news that I have a chance to win the championship [in Abu Dhabi] - that's a good thing. I'm also happy because it's good for the fans that it's going to be exciting until the very end. And, yeah, for sure it keeps me very, very optimistic."
In contrast to Hamilton, who has won the last five races in a row, Rosberg hasn't tasted victory since the German Grand Prix in July. When asked to describe their relative performances since then, Rosberg conceded: "Lewis has done a little bit of a better job. That's it, pretty simple - but as I say, still two races [left]. It was an intense battle before and it still is an intense battle now."
Rosberg's current 24-point deficit to Hamilton is the biggest he has faced all season. He has finished second in five of the last six Grands Prix - a run which, when coupled with his retirement in Singapore, has produced a 35-point swing in Hamilton’s favour.