Lewis Hamilton: 'Mentally strong' Nico Rosberg still fighting for title

Hamilton can become the first Briton to win six grands prix in a row - and 11 in a season - in Brazil this weekend

Lewis Hamilton does not believe he has broken Nico Rosberg's spirit in their fight for the world championship.

Hamilton leads his Mercedes team-mate by 24 points going into the penultimate round in Brazil, after earning his 10th win of the year in Austin last weekend.

His run of five straight wins means the momentum is with the 29-year-old as he pursues a second world championship.

But the Briton said: "Every weekend Nico resets, comes in and qualifies on pole. He's massively strong mentally."

Hamilton insists Rosberg is "still there, still fighting", even though the German described his defeat to his title rival at Sunday's United States Grand Prix, for which he qualified on pole only to surrender the lead to the Briton on lap 24, as "the worst possible way to lose".

With 75 points available in the final races in Brazil and Abu Dhabi, there is still every chance for Rosberg to land his maiden Formula 1 title, despite his recent disappointing sequence.

Even if he fails to score at Interlagos this weekend and Hamilton wins, his deficit would stand at 49 points with 50 to play for at the season finale on 23 November.

Rosberg, 29, has had nine pole positions so far in 2014 but he needs to translate that into success on a Sunday and that has proved elusive, with just four wins to his name.

"It will be the same approach from me: fully committed, full attack, try and be on pole in qualifying and then win Interlagos and that's it," said Rosberg.

"There are still many points to be had and a lot can still happen."

Hamilton, meanwhile, is refusing to be distracted by the controversy over the double-points scenario, which his team boss at Mercedes, Toto Wolff, admits has the potential to "overshadow" the season.

"It is what it is," Hamilton, the 2008 world champion, said. "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."

Brazilian Grand Prix coverage details.