Reuters
London, Sept 20: Nico Rosberg drew level with Damon Hill in Formula One’s (F1) all-time list of ace winners Sunday in Singapore and the odds are narrowing on the German matching the Briton again as the only sons of World Champions to take the title.
Hill, the 1996 champion and son of late double title-holder Graham, currently stands alone with that achievement but maybe not for much longer.
Even if Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton remains the bookmakers’ favourite to take his fourth title, Rosberg is increasingly fancied after retaking the championship lead with six races to go.
Malaysia, next up in two weeks’ time, could swing the balance further towards the German who has won all three races since the summer break and eight – out of 15 – this season. He is eight points clear of Hamilton, the first time he has led the standings since July, and reaching new levels of performance.
“I’ve known Nico since 2013 and that is the best Nico Rosberg I have ever seen throughout the weekend since then,” declared Mercedes motorsport head Toto Wolff, Tuesday. “He was just blindingly fast in Singapore.”
The German is already a F1 phenomenon, holding an unwanted record that he hopes to shed – that of the most successful driver not to win a championship. He took that from Britain’s Stirling Moss, who won 16 Grands Prix and was four times overall runner-up in the 1950s.
No driver has ever won eight races in a season and not taken the title, even if there are a record 21 this year, so that would also be a first if he fails to prevail.
Rosberg, whose Finnish father Keke took the 1982 title and won just five F1 races, already has more victories to his name than 19 champions. His 22 wins put him level with Hill, whose father ranks some way behind on 14. One more would put Rosberg level with triple champion Nelson Piquet of Brazil, two would equal five-time champion Juan Manuel Fangio of Argentina.