Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

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Daniel Ricciardo needs to score only one point this weekend to secure third place in the championship.“Is that real?” Ricciardo said, appearing on 5 live’s preview show. “Wow.”  

He says he reflects “very fondly” on 2016. “It is not something we really expected. I hoped to get podiums and get back on the winners’ column but in winter testing there were not strong signs we would be up there and Ferrari looked like they were closing in on Mercedes more than last year. It’s awesome. It is a testament to what we have done as a team and I feel I have been driving at my best, even better than 2014.” 

This inevitability will mean he has been best of the rest in two of the three seasons of the turbo hybrid formula so far. “I’ll take that,” Ricciardo said. “It’s all right for now - and next year I will go two better.” 

He also reacted to Fernando Alonso’s opinion, expressed in a BBCSport interview in Austin last week, that Ricciardo is the best driver on the grid right now. “Pretty awesome,” Ricciardo said. “I’m not gonna lie. You can't ignore a comment like that and say: ‘Ah yeah, whatever.’ It’s nice to be recognised by a legend of the sport.”

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Red Bull, or maybe that should be Red Ghoul given the way their drivers looked yesterday, could still have a part to play in the title battle. 

They have been the best of the rest during the second half of the season and Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton have often had one of Daniel Ricciardo or Max Verstappen alongside them on the podium.

Ricciardo, though, doesn't think they can have too much of an impact on the title battle in Mexico.

"Looking at it on paper, I would say Abu Dhabi is probably where I fancy my best chances," he said. "But Mexico is going to be a completely different track to last year, so we'll see."

Is Nico Rosberg too boring to be world champion? 

Given Lewis Hamilton gets criticised for his jet-setting lifestyle, what is the perfect personality for a Formula 1 world champion?

Let us know via #bbcf1,, external text in on 81111 (UK only) or post a comment on the BBC Sport Facebook page.

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A nerve was hit on Thursday when Nico Rosberg was asked for his thoughts on Bernie Ecclestone's comments that suggested, external he felt he would make a boring world champion.

“I am here to win races, not to please everybody that’s out there,” said Rosberg. 

"There will always be people who have opinions that go against me in some way or another that’s the nature of the business. I like to focus on the people who really work with me.”

BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

Nico Rosberg clearly can't wait to get cracking but he's still got just under 20 minutes to wait until the circuit is open for first practice. It gets under way at 16:00 BST and you can listen to live commentary online and on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

Image source, Getty Images

There are three races to go and Lewis Hamilton knows he realistically has to win them all to have any chance of winning the title - and even then his destiny is still in Nico Rosberg’s hands. 

So how is the world champion feeling? 

“I approach it the same as I approach every race,” he says. “Maybe slightly more relaxed than I have others, because I’ve accepted that there are things that are out of my powers, out of my control. All I can do is control what’s in the car and what I do. So long as I focus and put all my energy towards that, hopefully I can get results as I did last weekend. But if I don’t, then you move forwards. I don’t think I’ll be taking more risks than I usually do. I think I’m a relatively risky driver, but I don’t think I will be taking more than others. I will definitely be cautious of my surroundings, as I always am.

“I’m going for it, that’s for sure. While my heart’s still beating, I still have that drive to win, and there’s still an opportunity, even if it’s only 1%, I’m going to be going for it. If there’s any time for me to be the best I’ve ever been, it’s these last three races.” 

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Hello! Welcome along to our coverage of the Mexican Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton kept himself in the hunt for the world title by winning in the United States last Sunday but it could be all over in a matter of days if things go Nico Rosberg's way.

If he wins the race, and Hamilton retires or finishes 10th or lower, then Rosberg will be the new world champion.

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Nico Rosberg is in unchatered waters.

For the first time this season, he goes into a race knowing that by Monday he could be a world champion.

As Mexico prepares to celebrate its Day of the Dead festival, will Rosberg finally kill off Lewis Hamilton's challenge, or will the Briton live to fight another day?

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