ABU DHABI, UAE (CMC):

Reigning champion Lewis Hamilton says he is proud of his comeback campaign, irrespective of the outcome of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday.

Hamilton is 12 points behind Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg, who will win the title if he finishes in the top three even if the Briton wins the race.

"It has been a challenging season in terms of ups and downs," said Hamilton, whose paternal grand parents are Grenadian.

"But I've managed to strengthen in terms of turning the negatives into positives."

Hamilton's engine failure while leading in Malaysia in September, created a 28-point swing in favour of Rosberg, and a win for Rosberg in Japan the following weekend left Hamilton 33 points adrift.

Hamilton also had engine failures in qualifying in early season races in China and Russia, which meant that he had to recover from positions down the grid.

"I am really proud of what I've achieved. I was 43 points behind. I thought it was impossible to come back from that, and I have been 33 points behind and nearly turned that around," said Hamilton.

"It has shown everything is possible, and I will keep facing the races coming with that mentality."