Rosberg triumphs at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with two-stop tyre strategy

That analogy seemed appropriate on Sunday as the 2015 campaign ended with a cliffhanger at the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that will keep fans intrigued until the new season begins in March in Australia next year. “But since then I’ve come back a lot stronger”. Valterri Bottas was going well with his Williams, but was charged with a five second penalty, when his team made an unsafe release of his auto, shaving the back end of McLaren’s Jenson Button and ripping off half of the Finn’s front wing. The German suffered from tire graining late in his second stint, with Hamilton cutting the deficit from 7.1 seconds on lap 15 of 55 to 1.3 seconds when Rosberg pitted for the second time at the end of lap 31.

“Let’s leave that”, he said.

Hamilton was attempting a one-pit stop strategy and took the lead for ten laps.

It’s been an wonderful year.

“The start, the pit stops and the tyre management were all really good and I felt like I had it all under control”.

“Now we can really enjoy it, but I have to take my hat off to the team, who have done an incredible job with this vehicle”.

“I think we need a bit of common sense….” They’ve surpassed our expectations.

“In hindsight, once Nico had pitted I probably should have backed off and made my tyres last longer”, Hamilton said. While it was a distant second overall, Ferrari also added to its numbers in 2015, pushing the record for most wins from pole to 124 and the mark for race leads from start to finish to 68 on the strength of Sebastian Vettel’s pole and lights-to-flag victory in Singapore. I haven’t finished the season as strongly as I started it – but what an incredible year it’s been.

“But it’s not been an ideal year”. And y’know, the speed has been there but mistakes and problems and stuff like that. “Not enough to beat these two (Rosberg and Hamilton) but we did our best”.

Speaking after the race on the podium last night, Rosberg sounded like a man who did not want the season to end.

Before Hamilton came in, on the 41st lap, 10 laps later than Rosberg, he told his team that he wanted to stay out on his by now rather venerable rubber.

“I am sure it’s going to be another great season next year, but of course we are aware of the threat from the red guys”.

Fifth place went to Force India’s Sergio Perez, who had to fend off a tough challenger in the form of Red Bull Racing’s Daniel Ricciardo. Wear and degradation were within limits, to the point where even Lewis Hamilton – chasing his team mate for victory – questioned on team radio whether or not he needed to make a second stop at all.

Of the rest, Fernando Alonso was 17th, caught up in an incident at the start with Pastor Maldonado and Nasr.

The only major incident of the race came at the first corner.

In the closing stages, he briefly held 10th, but supersoft-shod Romain Grosjean powered past to bump him down to 11th.