Nico Rosberg: “I’m very happy with that pole”

Furious about their first-corner clash, and having lost the world championship to his Mercedes teammate in Austin due to an uncharacteristic mistake, German Rosberg did not appreciate the “2nd place”-branded Pirelli cap landing in his lap in the podium waiting room”.

Nico Rosberg, nearer camera, and Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton go wheel-to-wheel during the the US Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas.

“I said, “Here you go mate”, and then it came back at me”.

This year, Hamilton has been far more dominant – winning 10 races to Rosberg’s three so far – and Rosberg was understandably sore.

“I wanted to be prepared for Q3 with a new set of full wets but, of course, that opportunity never came up as the rain increased suddenly and they had to abandon qualifying. I just can’t believe it”.

Rosberg later put his ill-feeling towards Hamilton to one side as he joined the all-conquering Brit and his Mercedes team celebrate at a downtown bar in Austin after the race.

But not everyone agrees.

“It has been an incredible year”. After Sir Jackie Stewart, Lewis Hamilton is that driver.

“No need”, he insisted.

“I feel incredibly privileged to be at the front of that”.

“My mum’s 60th birthday is coming up, I’ve got friends’ events coming up, more races to win and I have also got the team after-year party – I’ve got to get a few good sleep because there’s going to be a serious amount of partying as far as I’m concerned”. He holds the record of being the youngest driver to lead the World Championship.

“It’s a good challenge to go up against one of the best”. But while Hamilton can be regarded extensively for giving F1 one of its utterly dominating stints in the world of motorsports ever since he led and held the 2014 championship season on his own shoulders and made light work of the 2015 season, his own triumphs speak of an incessant desire to win, which isn’t an everyday occurrence in today’s Formula One grind.

“You just have to keep working and keep waiting for your moment”, he told the BBC.