Abu Dhabi: Lewis Hamilton played every trick he could to save the Formula One (F1) title he had made his own in the last two years. But all his efforts went in vain as Nico Rosberg finished second at the Yas Marina circuit here Sunday. Under the dessert lights Hamilton won the race, but Rosberg the world title by a mere five points after 21 races. It couldn’t have been closer than this.
It was always the most likely outcome, given that Rosberg carried a 12-point lead into the title-decider. The question was how Hamilton would go about the race. Roar into the lead and to hell with the title ramifications? Or try to bunch Rosberg into the pack and leave him perilously close to the Ferraris and Red Bulls? So that the German failed to get a podium finish which would enable Hamilton to win the title.
The Brit did the latter, limiting his speed at the front. It caused him to hear the wrath of his Mercedes team, who repeatedly instructed him to speed up. He brushed aside the requests, telling them that ‘they should let us race’.
There were two or three perilous moments for the German – the new champion. The first came at his initial pit stop. He was delayed there by the Ferrari of Kami Raikkonen coming in. He, therefore, found himself behind the Red Bull of Max Verstappen, who was on a one-stop, rather than two-stop, strategy.
Verstappen holding up Rosberg meant the possibility of Red Bull getting their other driver, Daniel Ricciardo, in and out ahead of Rosberg. Mercedes gave the order for Rosberg to push, and he did. It was a close call at corner eight, the tyres of the pursuing Mercedes and of Verstappen coming close. Then, at the next corner, Rosberg exited smartly, pulling away on the second straight.
The title was his from then on. It was indeed a great moment for the German as he emulated his dad Keke who had won the title in 1982.
Agencies
