Nico Rosberg still believes he can win his maiden Formula One title in 2015 despite falling 53 points behind teammate Lewis Hamilton.
Rosberg retired two laps from the end of the Italian Grand Prix after his engine gave up on him as he was chasing down Sebastian Vettel for second place.
The German could now win each of the seven remaining races and still not be crowned world champion in Abu Dhabi.
“This weekend was very tough for me,” said Rosberg. “There were just too many problems with my car which made it impossible to fight for the win.
“It hurts a lot when you have to retire with just two or three laps to go. A few corners earlier, I felt already that I had lost some power but was still hoping I could make it.
Rosberg was forced to use an older, less powerful power unit after his new upgraded one failed during free practice three.
“Today was a massive step in the wrong direction for me in the championship – but to complain doesn’t help in these situations. I just need to keep pushing and come back even stronger.
“Giving up is not an option for me. I will push hard to turn things in the right direction.”
