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Hamilton aims for another first in Brazil

ALAN BALDWIN

SAO PAULO, Brazil - Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton can set more British Formula 1 records in Brazil this weekend but it's the Formula 1 Drivers' championship he wants... and that will have to wait until Abu Dhabi.

No Briton has won six grands prix in a row or 11 in a single season.

The Mercedes driver overtook 1992 champion Nigel Mansell as his country's most successful in terms of race wins when he reached 32 in Texas on November 2. Can he do both at Interlagos?

HAMMER-BLOW FOR ROSBERG?

Whatever, the novelty - or gimmick - of double points at the season's finale race in Abu Dhabi on November 23 means his second title will remain in doubt until it is all over, even if he takes maximum points on Sunday and team mate Nico Rosberg draws a blank.

Hamilton, 24 points clear of the German with 75 still to be won, will be doing his best to deliver another psychological hammer-blow to his rival on what promises to be a wet weekend. Hamilton told reporters in Austin the previous weekend:

"I guess I have a buffer for the next race. If something goes wrong you still have an opportunity to be in the fight, but that doesn't really change my mentality or approach.

"I've never won in Brazil. I nearly won in 2012 but was taken out. It is what it is," he said of the double points. "There's no point in getting upset about it. It's just about being positive. I've driven the best I've ever driven this year.

"If I continue to do what I've been doing then there's no doubt in my mind that I can come up winning."

'FULL-FRONTAL ATTACK'

Rosberg, who now has the unwanted record for most second places in a season (10) as well as four wins, knows that a mechanical failure for Hamilton and a victory for him would turn everything around. He's had nine pole starts so far in the campaign but needs to translate that into success on Sunday and that has proved elusive.

"(It will be the) same approach from me: fully committed, full-attack, try to be on pole in qualifying and then win Interlagos and that's it. There are still many points to be had and a lot can still happen.

"In Brazil it's even possible to turn it completely around. You never know what will happen there," he added. "I look forward to the last two races. With the car that we have, it's awesome, it really is."

Mercedes has already won the Constructors' title and, with the Drivers' also guaranteed since their pair have no rivals, can continue re-writing the record books. A 1-2 in Brazil would be its 11th of the season, one more than the record now shared with McLaren.

STRONG RECORD AT SAO PAULO

A win would equal the record of 15 in a season held by Ferrari and McLaren though a win is by no means guaranteed: Williams is a threat with Felipe Massa on his home track.

The Mercedes-powered team has a strong record at the ramshackle Sao Paulo track and Massa is hungry for a first win since 2008, when he won at home but lost out on the title to Hamilton by a single point.

Red Bull, its titles relinquished after a phenomenal four years, can make sure of second overall - though even that had seemed unlikely at the start of the season because of 'power unit' troubles.

Team principal Christian Horner said:

"I think we're a couple of points shy of tying up second but we want to try to finish the season on a high."

Stay with Wheels24 for the 2014 Brazilian F1 GP weekend.

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