Nico Rosberg makes history for himself as he bags title

F1 News – Nico Rosberg claimed his maiden Formula 1 title at the end of Sunday evening’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, as he followed home Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton to finish the season five points clear.

Hamilton and Rosberg maintained first and second at the start of the race, as the Red Bulls and Ferraris squabbled for position behind.

Max Verstappen was tipped into a spin at the exit of the first corner, and initially threatened to derail Rosberg’s race on an alternate strategy.

Rosberg passed the Dutchman, though, and restored a 1-2, a few seconds down on Hamilton, more than enough to secure the crown.

Hamilton, in a final bid, noticeably slowed in the closing stages, which backed Rosberg into Verstappen, Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel, who was running softer tyres.

Vettel quickly dispatched Kimi Räikkönen and Ricciardo, before overhauling Verstappen, and then got within DRS range of Rosberg’s car, as Mercedes urged Hamilton to up his pace.

However, Hamilton’s tactics were not quite enough to change the outcome of the championship, and he led home a top four covered by just over one-and-a-half seconds.

Hamilton recorded his 10th race victory of the campaign, while Rosberg followed in the footsteps of his father, Keke, who won the world title with Williams back in 1982.

As the lights went out in twilight conditions at the Yas Marina Circuit, both Hamilton and Rosberg pulled away cleanly, entering Turn 1 ahead of the Red Bulls and Ferraris.

Drama ensued at the exit of the corner as Verstappen, on the inside, and Force India’s Nico Hülkenberg, out wide, made light contact, sending the Red Bull into a spin.

Hamilton built up a one-second advantage over the early stages, staving off the DRS threat, while Rosberg kept Räikkönen, Ricciardo and Vettel at bay for second.

Meanwhile, Verstappen quickly worked his way up the order after his early spin and, when the top five runners pitted, emerged in second position, behind only Hamilton.

Hamilton and Rosberg, the latter to a greater extent, were both held at their first pit-stops, as they swapped tyres on the same laps as Räikkönen and Vettel respectively.

Rosberg ran third for the next few laps, before his engineer urged him to overtake Verstappen, prompting a DRS-assisted lunge at Turn 8, which almost resulted in contact.

Rosberg, unable to pass at the first attempt, cut back for the next apex, at Turn 9, and pulled clear with better traction, before defending from Verstappen down the straight.

Rosberg was the fastest driver in clean air and, after their second stops, got within touching distance of the slowing Hamilton, as the yet-to-pit Vettel took the lead.

Mercedes queried Hamilton’s gradual drop in pace, as Rosberg lingered, and Vettel – having eventually pitted for Super Softs, rather than more Softs – closed in.

Hamilton responded to the repeated radio messages by stating: “I’m losing the World Championship, so right now I don’t really care whether I win or lose this race.”

Vettel managed to cut his way through the field, passing Räikkönen, Ricciardo and Verstappen in quick succession, which put significant pressure on Rosberg.

Hamilton needed Vettel and Verstappen to overtake Rosberg to steal the title, but the top four remained the same to the chequered flag, despite a tense final few laps.

Hamilton led Rosberg over the line by half a second, with Vettel a similar margin further back, followed by Verstappen and Ricciardo, while Räikkönen drifted back in sixth.

Hülkenberg and Sergio Pérez took seventh and eighth respectively, as Force India secured fourth in the standings, with Williams’ Felipe Massa ninth in his final race.

Fernando Alonso grabbed 10th to give McLaren-Honda another point, with Haas’ Romain Grosjean and Esteban Gutiérrez the final drivers on the lead lap.

Manor’s Esteban Ocon and Pascal Wehrlein clashed en route to 13th and 14th, followed by Sauber’s Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr, and Renault’s Jolyon Palmer.

Carlos Sainz Jr. banged wheels with Palmer and retired with a gearbox issue, after Toro Rosso team-mate Daniil Kvyat pulled off track, amid his own technical woes.

Jenson Button retired from his likely swansong, after contact with the kerbs caused a steering failure, and received a standing ovation as he returned to the pits.

Valtteri Bottas and Kevin Magnussen boxed their cars early on, Magnussen after contact at the first corner, and Bottas due to a rear suspension issue on his Williams.

Category: Formula One