Austin (Texas): Nico Rosberg sat slumped in his chair, exhausted and exasperated after another race and the world title taken away by Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton at more or less the same time here last year. But things have changed in the last 12 months.
These friends-turned rivals returnhere at the US Grand Prix in very different places this week. This time, it’s Rosberg with the big lead and Hamilton running out of time if he hopes to retain his Formula One (F1) championship.
Rosberg leads Hamilton by 33 points with four races left on the schedule. That means Hamilton has to make a big push starting Sunday on a track where he’s won three of the last four years.
“America has been good hunting ground for me,” Hamilton said here Thursday. But then a win streak alone won’t do it. Hamilton needs a bad race from Rosberg somewhere. If Rosberg finishes second three times and third once, he’ll still claim his first career championship. A Rosberg victory anywhere along the way would all but clinch it.
“My frame of mind at the moment is to have fun,” Hamilton said. “I’m determined to win. There’s never a day in my life when I don’t want to win. I could come here like I’ve got to win every race, but I’ve been racing a long time. I know what I’m doing so just go do it the best I can and enjoy.”
Is that concession? “Absolutely not,” asserted said. “There’s still 100 points out there. It’s (winning the title) possible.”
Rosberg may dictate when the end comes. He’s been a different driver since his moment of post-race infamy in 2015. After Hamilton clinched last season’s title in Austin, he playfully tossed Rosberg his podium cap in the drivers’ room. Rosberg immediately threw it back at him in a petulant moment captured on live television.
The split-second reaction symbolised the meltdown of Rosberg’s title efforts and the relationship between the two drivers. This time, however, the scene is a bit different. This time, it is Hamilton doing all the chasing while Rosberg sits pretty.
Associated Press
