Horner backs Hamilton over “naive” Mercedes

Only the third German world champion since Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel, Rosberg has raced to nine wins this season, only three of which he scored after Hamilton ran into vehicle trouble. The Finn, who won just one race in 1982, said it is unlikely that any world champion – his son or Hamilton included – would win a title without some good luck along the way.

“That definitely wasn’t the most enjoyable race I’ve ever had!” he admitted after the race, as quoted by www.formula1.com. Can’t believe it’s over.

“With where they were at, it was just down to those two guys”, Horner said. But the Brit was on pole and looking to grab his fourth straight win, while also hoping the German might miss the podium, which would allow him to claim the title for the third year in a row.

Rosberg has finished runner-up to Hamilton in the past three seasons though in 2016 the stars finally aligned for him, even with tension between the two drivers erupting in some exciting battles on the track. And every time Nico Rosberg would finish second best. Executive director Paddy Lowe clearly not comfortable with the Brit’s tactics.

But he kept his cool and his elation was evident as he let out a delighted screech of “Yes! World champion” on the radio when he crossed the line.

Then he jumped out of his vehicle and danced around the track before being hugged by his mechanics.

His final lap was nine seconds slower than the one that secured pole and was clearly created to put Rosberg in a vulnerable position.

He then grabbed Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone and lifted him into the air.

Otherwise, Rosberg did not want to comment on the episode, but Ferrari’s Vettel said the moves played by Hamilton were “not very fair”.

“Congratulations to Nico, he has driven a great season this year”. Or was it more down to Hamilton’s mechanical misfortunes?

“You need to win and to lose with dignity”, he said. After Sunday’s race, Rosberg thanked Hamilton for pushing him to the brink and bringing out the best in him.

There have been two other occasions where Hamilton has been accused of backing Rosberg up.

From their days together as teenage karting teammates to mature Mercedes rivals, Britain’s Hamilton has been the implacable rival against whom the German has measured himself and always come short.

Although there were some calculated pacing as Lewis approaches the end of the race, the strategy still made both Lewis and Rosberg finish ahead from their close F1 competitive races such as Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel, according to Autoblog’spost.

And Hamilton, 31, hit back at his team for trying to impose orders saying: “I am out there fighting”. Rosberg is now the 33rd Formula 1 world champion. In the end, after 21 races, he scored five more.

“I don’t feel I did anything unfair”.

Rosberg, who had gifted Hamilton victory with a late error, petulantly flung it back.

Rosberg ended on 385 points to Hamilton’s 380.

As a result, Hamilton slowed down to ensure Rosberg, safely sitting in second, was pushed back to the chasing pack and forced to defend his podium position.

Last-race scenarios are nothing new to Hamilton and this was fourth time he has been involved in such a finale.

Brazilian Felipe Massa, for Williams, was ninth in his 250th and final race with Fernando Alonso scoring the last point for McLaren.

Hamilton insisted after the race that he had only lost the championship because he had had more technical failures on his vehicle than Rosberg during the season.