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Hamilton vows to stop Rosberg from winning the title

Hamilton vows to 'give everything' despite 'impossible odds'

Lewis Hamilton may face "impossible odds" but has vowed to "give everything" to stop Nico Rosberg winning the Formula One drivers' world championship at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday.

Hamilton has won the last three races to move to within 12 points of his Mercedes teammate Rosberg.

But Rosberg needs only a top-three finish on Sunday to clinch his maiden title and stop Hamilton from becoming the first British driver to be crowned a four-time Formula One world champion.

Hamilton, who drove superbly in the wet to finish first at the Brazilian Grand Prix, was in no doubt of the scale of the task he faced, telling the formula1.com website: "It's not been a perfect season and I'm faced with pretty impossible odds no matter what I do this weekend."

"I can't and won't give up. You never know what might happen - however unlikely it may seem," added Hamilton, plagued by reliability issued earlier this season.

"I'll be proud of myself and what I've achieved, as long as I feel I've given my all and performed at my best.

"Whatever happens, I'm proud of everyone who's been a part of the success we've shared over the past few years.

"I'm approaching this weekend the same as I do every race. I want to win and I'll give it everything to finish the season on a high."

WIDER FOCUS

While the wider focus will inevitably be on the two drivers' performances on track in Abu Dhabi, Mercedes have promised to do their part in ensuring the title is not inadvertently settled by unreliability or team mistakes.

"This is the first time we've had a 21st race in any Formula 1 season and it's fitting that such a record-breaking year should conclude with the Drivers' Championship being fought right to the very end," said Paddy Lowe, Mercedes' technical chief.

"It's great for fans of the sport.

"Of course, it also means significant tension within our particular camp - but the team have shown themselves highly adept at managing this type of situation over the past few years. We will approach this weekend as we would any other, with the primary objective of ensuring that the title is decided on track in a fair fight."

Meanwhile, Rosberg, bidding to emulate his father Keke, the 1982 world champion, said: "In Brazil, after the race, I was joking that I would still be taking things one race at a time.

"But, the more I think about it, the more that's actually not as crazy as it sounds. I have to treat this like any other race.

"Nothing in this sport is easy, so this won't be any different and I still have to go all out for a good result.

"I have great memories from winning at this track last year and it's somewhere I've usually been strong in the past, so I have every reason to feel confident." - AFP.

Rodman charged with hit and run

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman was charged with hit and run, and property damage on Monday for driving the wrong way on a freeway and causing a car crash, police said.

Rodman was charged with misdemeanour counts of hit and run with property damage, driving a motor vehicle across a divide, giving false information to a police officer and driving without a valid licence.

If convicted on all charges, the five-time NBA champion and seven-time NBA rebound champion faces a maximum of two years in county jail.

Rodman, 55, will be arraigned on Jan 20, 2017.

Police say that in the early morning hours of July 20, Rodman drove a sport utility vehicle north in the southbound carpool lane of Interstate 5 in Santa Ana and drove head-on towards a sedan, causing the driver of that vehicle to swerve into a dividing wall to avoid a collision with Rodman's vehicle.

Police say Rodman did not exchange information with the other driver and fled the scene before police arrived. - AFP.

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