Remember the ‘rope-a-dope’, Lewis Hamilton to Nico Rosberg

Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg (centre) celebrates on the podium after winning the Bahrain GP along with second-placed Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari (left) and team mate Lewis Hamilton at the Sakhir circuit in Manama on Sunday. (Photo: AFP )

Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton says he has no concerns about Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg’s five-race winning streak or his own poor starts this season.

The Briton, who has not won a race since clinching his third title in Texas last October, told reporters he felt psychologically stronger than ever despite the setbacks.

“This is a psychological game, for sure,” Hamilton told reporters after finishing third in Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix despite starting on pole position for the second race in a row.

“It is a battle. I guess with age and experience, I’m in the most solid place I’ve ever been psychologically. There’s very little if anything that can penetrate that ... There’s a long way to go.”

Referencing Muhammad Ali’s ‘Rope a Dope’ tactics in the 1974 ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ heavyweight title fight against George Foreman, Hamilton suggested Rosberg’s early season victories might not count for anything in the end. “You can’t win them all,” he added. “Not that this is the same, but Muhammad Ali with that Rumble in the Jungle, he got the dude to believe that he was winning and he didn’t. So anything can happen.”

Hamilton is now 17 points behind Rosberg, but 19 races remain in a championship with more rounds than ever.

Rosberg living the moment After two successive season-opening wins, Nico Rosberg is “living the moment” but says he remains fearful of Ferrari following their demonstration of potential in Bahrain Grand Prix.

“I am not thinking about the season,” said Rosberg. “I am going step-by-step. I am just enjoying it at the moment.

“I have been very privileged to drive this car and go for wins. When I go to China, I know I am going to fight for the win there as well so it is such a great feeling to have...

“Winning is awesome. Celebrating with the team and getting all those points... It is great to start the season like that, but I am not looking too far ahead, I am living for the moment.”

He said he was well aware that Kimi Raikkonen who split the two ‘silver arrows’ cars and finished second behind him for Ferrari had demonstrated threatening speed on a day when his team-mate Sebastian Vettel had failed to start a race for the first time following an engine failure.