Formula 1:Lewis Hamilton believes Felipe Massa's home advantage could prove a double-edged sword when the rivals face off for the Formula One world title in Brazil.
Hamilton heads to Massa's home turf of Sao Paulo next week with a seven-point lead following the ninth win of his career in China on Sunday.
The 23-year-old just needs to steer his McLaren into the top five to become the youngest champion in F1 history, irrespective of how Massa fares.
The Ferrari star can only take the title if he wins and Hamilton is sixth or lower, or if he is second and the 23-year-old is eighth or lower.
Massa's 100,000-strong army of fans at Interlagos will fervently feel their hero can become the country's first champion since the late Ayrton Senna in 1991.
But while the support will undoubtedly help Massa, Hamilton also feels it could have an adverse effect due to the weight of expectation.
"It definitely gives you some form of boost, but it's hard to explain exactly what that is," remarked Hamilton. "Nigel Mansell used to talk about it being worth a second per lap. It's clearly not worth that much, but there is something to what he said.
"I know Felipe is very proud to be Brazilian and that he'll be pumped up to perform in front of his home crowd.
"That gives you extra confidence and a mental boost for the whole weekend.
"I remember at Silverstone earlier this year when I won the British Grand Prix just how much appreciation I received from the crowd and just what it meant to me.
"But it does bring extra pressure too. You know you are there to entertain the people and you don't want to disappoint them by sending them home empty-handed."
However, Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali is convinced Massa will be able to shoulder the burden of responsibility.
"I'm not concerned about the pressure he might come under," said Domenicali. "I think the race on Sunday was a more tense one for Felipe because he knew there was a possibility Lewis could be champion.
"Considering he was not competitive enough to beat Lewis, and you never know about reliability, you have to say 'okay, we did what we could to the maximum'.
"So I am expecting Felipe to be more - I don't think it's correct to say relaxed, but more tranquil in Brazil rather than in China.
"I'm pretty sure he will handle the pressure in a positive way."
PA