Nico Rosberg had to settle for second in qualifying for the all-important title showdown race in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, as he admitted matching Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton's pole position time would have been "impossible".
The German heads into the race having to finish on the podium to secure his first ever title, but admitted he was disappointed not to be starting from pole following a "good, but not good enough" lap, which was three-tenths down on the Briton's.
"I aome here to try to be on pole and win the race, so not ecstatic by today," he said after the session.
"Lewis did a great job and was a couple of tenths quicker, it was impossible for me to do that time today.
"I had a good balance out there and, as qualifying went on, it felt better and better. I got a good lap in the end in Q3 – but not good enough."
Despite being unable to match Hamilton's pace, Rosberg is still aiming to win the final race of the year even though he only needs to finish third if Hamilton wins to become champion.
"There are still opportunities tomorrow and, for sure, I will go for the win.
"I'll keep it simple for tomorrow, I don’t think of 'what if' – that would be the wrong approach."
