Rosberg foils Hamilton to claim maiden title

Lewis Hamilton could face disciplinary action from Mercedes after he deliberately ignored team orders at the title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Rosberg edged Mercedes teammate Hamilton by five points to cap a season which saw the pendulum swing dramatically between both men, none more so than when the latter suffered an engine failure while leading the Malaysian Grand Prix.

However, some backed Hamilton’s tactics, including Kimi Raikkonen who said the Briton’s behavior was “not ridiculous” in Abu Dhabi.

For Rosberg, who has played second fiddle to Hamilton over the past two seasons, a first world title was rich reward for his perseverance. Mercedes finished first with 765 points in the constructors’ championship while second placed Red Bull scored 468. Graham Hill, the two-time champion, had been killed in a plane crash before Damon Hill won his title in 1996.

Rosberg was running second, and Hamilton knew that his teammate needed to finish fourth or worse for the Brit to have a chance at the championship. I admire him for his mental strength and commitment, for somebody like Nico it is 110 per cent. “I love number six of course, my dad won the World Championship with number six as well, so it’s a very lucky number for us”, he added.

Lewis Hamilton has already surpassed greats like Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell and contemporaries Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso for most Grand Prix wins in history.

Just like his father, Rosberg drives in the No. 6 auto.

The 31-year-old German Mercedes driver started in P2.

“That’s just a statistic for you – if I got my statistics right, so that’s quite a nice new one”, a smiling Rosberg said. It was massive. I think it’s been good how’s he’s let me get on with it and taken a step back.

Rosberg’s title went down to the wire in a nerve-shredding finale.

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

Hamilton won the race from pole position for his 53rd GP win. But the same circumstances that led to this unusual situation-Mercedes total dominance-also had clinched the title for them with nearly 300 points to spare.

“I think Lewis was trying to back us up, and I probably would have done the same”, Verstappen said after the race.

Still, he expects to find plenty of energy to celebrate his win.

“Tonight’s going to be absolutely nuts”, Rosberg said. “I am not sure yet where my finger is going to point or the needle is going to go”.

Ricciardo pitted early, while team-mate Verstappen went for a one-stop strategy that ultimately lifted him above the Australian on race day.

“I was in two minds”, he said, adding that the team values of Mercedes are “pretty clear” and that “it can not make a difference whether it was the first or last race”.