YAS MARINA, Abu Dhabi -- Nico Rosberg believes he has what it takes to beat Lewis Hamilton to pole position on Saturday, but says it is going to be a close battle under the lights at Abu Dhabi.
Rosberg finished second practice 0.079s off his Mercedes teammate on Friday evening as the two drivers prepared ahead of this weekend's title showdown. He lost out in sectors one and three, but is confident he can make up the difference in time for qualifying on Saturday.
"Yes, he's a little bit faster but I didn't do my lap properly so I still have a bit in reserve," he said. "But it's going to be tough because he's driving well and it's going to be a close battle tomorrow and I'll drive for pole.
"I'm going to dig deep tonight and try and find those extra hundredths in the set-up or whatever and then see how it works."
Rosberg only has to finish on the podium to win the title on Sunday, but a top three position could come under threat if Red Bull is able to take the fight to Mercedes this weekend. Asked if he was worried about the impressive long-run pace of both Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo on Friday, the German said he saw nothing out of the ordinary from Red Bull.
"I think it's as per usual, so Red Bull is close. But Ferrari looks quick on one lap, so it's a bit difficult to say who's going to be our closest rival. As per usual, we need to get the best out of it and then we have a good chance of being in front of them."