Mercedes boss Toto Wolff insists Nico Rosberg has not given up on this year's title despite falling 48 points behind Lewis Hamilton in the standings.
Rosberg has not won a race since the Austrian Grand Prix and at the last round in Japan failed to convert pole position into victory after being passed by Hamilton in the first two corners. Rosberg remained cool in defeat, but Wolff says his driver's calm demeanour should not be mistaken for a lack of determination.
"The way I see him and the way I feel where he is, he has not given up," Wolff said. "I think there is no way a driver will ever give it up unless it is mathematically not possible any more. For Nico's case, this is what I see.
"We try to maintain a good relationship in the team and not have any animosity and this is when a driver appears to be nice, that it is seen as a weakness."
Wolff does not agree that Rosberg tends to come off worse when the two Mercedes drivers go wheel-to-wheel in battle.
"It shows how close they fight with each other. I wouldn't want to say that there is a tendency that when they fight, it is Lewis that comes out better. That is definitely not the case."