Nico Rosberg looks to Williams to deny Lewis Hamilton

Nico Rosberg looked to Williams for a helping hand in the Formula One title battle after his Mercedes team dominated Abu Dhabi Grand Prix practice.

With team-mate and championship leader Lewis Hamilton fastest in both sessions, and 17 points clear in the standings, Rosberg needs to win Sunday’s season-ender with someone else getting between him and the Briton.

The chances of that happening did not look overwhelming.

The best of the rest were well off the pace of the silver cars while outgoing champions Red Bull indicated they would not be getting embroiled in any private Mercedes duel.

Williams, Rosberg’s team before the German joined the ‘Silver Arrows’, have the same Mercedes engines and look the most likely to give the title contenders a run for their money in a race with double points.

“The Williams...was actually looking pretty good at some points today,” said Rosberg hopefully. “Of course I’m hoping they’re closer.

“The car feels good and the pace advantage seems to be there for sure at the moment which is not necessarily a good thing because I need some help from someone else.

“(Finland’s Valtteri) Bottas is looking quick at times so we need to see where he really is,” added the German whose Finnish father Keke won the 1982 championship with Williams.

While Rosberg felt he had failed to string his best lap together before qualifying, Hamilton had no complaints.

“We made good steps forward with the set-up but, as always, there is still more time to be found. We’ll keep chipping away at it and look to improve in every area possible but the car feels great,” he said.

“It’s the best I’ve ever driven here without doubt...when you know you have a package as competitive as ours it’s like being a kid at Christmas.”

The 2008 champion will have been happy to hear Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo, the only non-Mercedes driver to win this year, sounding resigned. “Mercedes . . they’re fighting for the title so we’ll let them go,” he said.

Quadruple champion team -mate Sebastian Vettel agreed: “I don’t really want to interfere with Mercedes in the race. It would be nice to race them and beat them but I think realistically they are a bit far away.”

Hamilton will be champion if he finishes . . .

First or second.

Third, fourth or fifth and Rosberg fails to win.

Sixth with Rosberg not in the top two.

Seventh or eighth with Rosberg out of the top three.

Ninth and Rosberg is not in top four.

Tenth (or lower) and Rosberg is no higher than sixth.

Rosberg will be champion if . . .

He wins and Hamilton is not 2nd.

He finishes second and Hamilton is not in the top five.

He is third and Hamilton is out of the top six.

He is fourth and Hamilton is no higher than ninth.

He is fifth and Hamilton is no higher than 10th.

Rosberg cannot win if he finishes sixth or lower.