Lewis Hamilton believes the outcome of his title duel with Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg will be decided on the track and not by any kind of mind games, he said on Thursday.
Speaking on the eve of Rosberg’s home German Grand Prix the 29-year-old Briton told reporters that he felt the driver “who can keep their head most will probably come out on top” in the championship.
Hamilton, now just four points behind Rosberg after winning the British Grand Prix two weeks ago when the German suffered his first retirement this year, said: “I’d like to think that it’s just focused on the track really.
“I’m not trying to play mind games with Nico — he’s a very intelligent driver. You talk about mind games, but I’m not really playing mind games.
“Every time you go faster it naturally has an effect on the mind, so inevitably you might say something and people may interpret that as playing mind games.
“We’re obviously fierce competitors, we’re going to be head-to-head hopefully for the rest of the year and who can keep their head most will probably come out on top.”
The German Grand Prix will see the teams this weekend obeying a request to give up their ‘Front and Rear Interconnected’ [FRIC] suspension systems.