Nico Rosberg is braced for a fightback from Lewis Hamilton, who he says is as focused as ever, in their battle for this years world championship. But Rosberg insists he wont change his approach after his win at the Japanese GP put him 33 points ahead of Hamilton with four races to go. With that kind of margin, no-one could blame Rosberg for beginning to allow thoughts of winning the title to enter his mind, but the German has maintained throughout the season that he is just taking each race at a time. At the final four races in Texas, Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi, he could afford to just follow Hamilton home in second and still take the championship - but Rosberg has vowed to carry on targeting victory.I really try not to as its working quite well as it is, so Im going to keep on going like that, he told Sky F1.Theres no point getting into any of that stuff. I just want to keep on trying to win the races, I dont want to start calculating or bringing home second places.In the post-race news conference Hamilton described Rosbergs lead as a healthy margin and it seems the German cant help but acknowledge he is in a strong position:Im well aware of the points. 33 points - its better that way than the other way round. Mercedes Nico Rosberg speaks to Sky F1s Rachel Brookes after victory in Japan Rosbergs reflections on the weekend as a whole sum up the kind of confidence he appears to have right now:Its been a great weekend for me from the word go. I got everything right. I felt comfortable from the first lap on Friday.Contrast that with his team-mate, who had an off-track battle to contend with as well as fighting one on the track. But does Rosberg think Hamilton was distracted by the on-going spat with sections of the media?Im the guy who knows, as I see backstage, and Lewis was as focused as ever this weekend. He was putting in the long hours and getting the car perfect. Rosberg has maintained the same stance all season - that Hamilton is still the bench mark whatever the standings suggest - and he fully expects his title rival to push him all the way.You dont need to expect him to back off in any way. Lewis is always a fighter. Its always a good battle and its going to continue to be. Hes going to be going for it in the last four races. Theres still a long way to go.And what about those around him? Well, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has this to say about Rosberg: If you want to be a world champion you should avoid mistakes to the minimum and thats what hes doing.33 points is quite a big gap if everything goes right. But we have seen that one DNF and the other guy winning is 25 points lost and then the championship is open again.Up next is a track that wont bring back the fondest of memories for Rosberg. The United States Grand Prix was the scene of Hamiltons title win last year and also that memorable cap-throwing incident. But despite that hes feeling positive about whats ahead: The upcoming races really suit me, Ive always felt comfortable at those tracks.That said, its a race Hamilton has won three of the four times it has been held so far in Texas, whereas Rosberg has never experienced victory at Austin.Dont miss The F1 Reports review of the Japanese GP on Sky Sports F1 at 8.30pm on Wednesday evening. Also See: Nico extends title lead in Japan Hamilton takes blame for start Japanese GP Recap F1 Gossip Column Adidas Deerupt Ale . Sharper briefly appeared in Los Angeles Superior Court, where his arraignment was postponed until Feb. 20 at the request of his lawyers. They issued a statement saying he would be exonerated. Prosecutors then filed a motion to increase Sharpers bail to $10 million and outlined details of investigations involving him in Las Vegas, Tempe, Ariz. Adidas NMD R1 Ale . According to a report from CSN Bay Area, the 49ers are bracing for 6-8 game suspension for their outside linebacker. http://www.nmdhalvalla.com/adidas-gazelle-halvalla.html. LOUIS -- Alexander Steen scored a power-play goal with 59. Adidas NMD R2 Suomi . -- Former Penn State coach Joe Paterno was admitted to the hospital Friday for observation due to minor complications from cancer treatments, his family said. Adidas NMD Kengät Miehet . - Jordan Addesis shootout goal helped the Plymouth Whalers to a 3-2 win over the Sault Ste.Salt Lake City, UT (Sports Network) - Utah and head coach Kyle Whittingham have agreed to terms on a four-year contract, the school announced on Friday. Whittingham will earn $2.6 million in 2015, and will receive a $100,000 raise each year through the length of the deal. Utah finished last season with a 9-4 mark, which included a 45-10 win over Colorado State in the Las Vegas Bowl. The successful campaign saw the Utes finish 21st in the final poll of the season. We appreciate the confidence and commitmennt the University of Utah has shown our program, said Whittingham.dddddddddddd We have a talented team returning for the 2015 season and were excited about the future of Utah football. The number one priority right now is finishing up another outstanding recruiting class. Whittingham has been head coach of Utah since 2005, posting an 85-43 record during that time, which included a 13-0 season in 2008 capped on a Sugar Bowl victory over Alabama. He was awarded coach of the year honors that season. ' ' '