Nico Rosberg was forced to settle for second on the grid for the Brazilian Grand Prix despite feeling he did a good lap during qualifying on Saturday.
The Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team racer was beaten to top spot by team-mate Lewis Hamilton by just 0.102 seconds as the dominant German team secured their nineteenth pole position of a remarkable 2016 season.
Rosberg can win the championship with victory at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace on Sunday, and he feels this is achievable despite seeing his title rival Hamilton take his sixtieth career pole position.
“That was a pretty intense qualifying out there today,” said Rosberg. “I was able to improve my times from lap to lap which felt good and it was all going very well.
“I found a good balance, a good rhythm… a good everything, really. Then, on my last run I was able to improve again – but at the end Lewis was just that little bit quicker. But that’s the way it is and there is still a lot to play for tomorrow.
“To win the race is definitely still possible from this position. The start is always a possibility and also with strategy it could be interesting tomorrow. I also had a good long run this morning, so I am looking forward to a great race in front of this fantastic crowd.”