Nico Rosberg v Lewis Hamilton: Who deserves to win F1 title in 2016?

Hamilton needs a miracle in Abu Dhabi.

More precisely, he needs title rival and team-mate Nico Rosberg to finish off the podium for the first time since August to have any hope of snatching the drivers’ title.

Hamilton trails his friend-turned-foe by 12 points in the overall standings – a deficit he has slowly eroded with three straight wins ahead of Sunday’s finale. A fourth triumph on the bounce isn’t enough in isolation though.

Yas Marina Circuit has two enormous straights that favour the Mercedes’ power. Good news for Hamilton’s victory aspirations; bad news for his hopes of two cars – most likely Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen – sandwiching between himself and Rosberg, particularly after the German manufacturer locked out the front row in Saturday's qualifying.

Then there’s the weather. While it’s not implausible for rain to fall in November, it’s unlikely to be enough to wreak havoc. The end result? A Hamilton triumph seemingly rests on two outcomes: a Rosberg error or a Rosberg malfunction.

But which driver actually deserves to win the title after a punishing 21-race season?

It’s been a familiar scene: Rosberg delivering his podium acceptance speech to a smattering of boos. While his post-race assessments can grate – the German has an uncanny ability to rarely see incidents as the replays show – his conduct hasn’t merited the ongoing goading.

Constantly written off as Mercedes’ number two, it’s to Rosberg’s immense credit that he has fought back in 2015 and 2016 and kept world champion Hamilton honest. It’s not easy finishing second. Rubens Barrichello was permanently consigned to Michael Schumacher’s shadow at Ferrari; Mark Webber was hidden behind Sebastian Vettel’s victorious glow at Red Bull. It’s rare for a driver line-up to produce two world champions, and yet Rosberg has refused to accept his inferiority.

The formbook demands Hamilton takes the title. He’s won the last three races from pole position, with Rosberg trailing home in second. But that’s ignoring the entire season. It was Rosberg who began the season with four straight wins. It was Rosberg who ended Hamilton’s mid-season resurgence with another four wins (in five races) – all while the boos grew louder.

His background doesn’t scream ‘underdog’. It’s hard to identify with the son of a former world champion. But his perseverance shows he’s made of title-winning grit – and he’s not had it handed to him, as his critics claim. Sure, he’s profited from Hamilton’s malfunctions, but if you start saying "if this happened, then this would have happened" you enter the murky world of Chaos Theory. Rosberg has still had to win the points.

He hasn’t done an awful lot wrong – although he didn’t help himself by losing the opening races, putting him in ‘catch-up mode’ from the off. Two ERS failures (China and Russia) and an engine blow-out (Malaysia) are among his woes this season, with a recent article suggesting he could have amassed a 59-point championship lead in the Japanese Grand Prix in October.

He is the quickest man in the Mercedes garage and refuses to go away in the 2016 title race. From a legacy standpoint, he’s one upset away from joining Alain Post and Sebastian Vettel on four world titles – company he deserves given his rise from McLaren rookie to omnipresent podium topper.

He’s hauled himself back into contention this season and could yet have the better mentality on Sunday. It’s not easy getting across the finish line – Hamilton famously sunk in the pit lane gravel during his debut season to throw away the title – and the Brit is now far more experienced in these situations than his team-mate. He could yet make his rival crack.

Victory in Abu Dhabi would be his 10th of the season. Rosberg currently has nine. Despite all his adversity, he remains in the hunt. And that’s a true indictor of a formidable driver.

One-sided reliability issues are not new to F1 in 2016. They have targeted drivers across the grid since its inception. Sport is all about how you deal with your circumstances, no matter how aggrieved you feel. Hamilton has fought superbly to get back into contention, but Rosberg knew four consecutive second places would carry him over the line. Three down. One to go.

What’s done is done. Rosberg leads Hamilton by 12 points. And if he completes the job on Sunday, he will be a deserving world champion, even if he may not be celebrated as such.