Nico Rosberg is not treating Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix as a must-win race despite seeing his title rival Lewis Hamilton sent to the back of the grid.
Hamilton, who leads Rosberg in the championship by 19 points after winning six of the last seven grands prix, will have his work cut out to begin the second half of the season in style following confirmation that he will serve an engine penalty here at the historic Spa-Francorchamps Circuit.
The world champion is expected to take at least a 20-place grid demotion after opting to take a penalty which has been looming over him following a number of engine problems in the opening races of the season.
No driver in the sport's history has won from the last spot on the grid and Hamilton's penalty would appear to provide Rosberg with some hope that he could yet wrestle back the title initiative from his rival after seeing Hamilton score 62 more points since they both crashed out of May's Spanish Grand Prix.
However, the German does not believe he should treat the 13th round of the championship - with Formula One roaring back into action following its mid-season break - as a must-win race.
"That would not be the right approach," Rosberg said on Thursday. "Of course, I would love to win the race, but it doesn't change the pressure that I would put myself under this weekend.
"I'm aware of Lewis's misfortune of having to get the grid penalty and that is going to make the weekend less difficult for me because he is my biggest rival.
"But I still need to beat all the opposition, and even Lewis, you always need to reckon with him because with a bit of luck and safety cars at the right moment there's no reason why he can't come very far back through the grid."
John Watson, the Belfast-born former McLaren driver, holds the record of winning from the lowest start slot after lining up in 22nd on the grid of 26 competitors before winning the 1983 United States Grand Prix at Long Beach.
But Hamilton, who arrived at a sun-blazed Spa-Francorchamps paddock flanked by his pet dogs on Thursday, is still confident he can deliver what would surely rank as his finest drive and score an unlikely victory.
"In terms of winning that is the goal, but it is going to be very, very hard," said Hamilton, who is only one victory shy of 50 career wins.
"I will do everything I can to minimise the impact that the penalty will have, and beyond that I plan to continue with the momentum I had before the break."
Source: PA
