Tag: lewis hamilton

Hamilton tops FP1

Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time in the first free practice session ahead of the season-ending Abu Dhabi grand prix.

Hamilton’s fastest lap was roughly two tenths faster than that of his championship rival Nico Rosberg. The best of the rest was Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso who is running a special crash helmet design this weekend which is the Spaniard’s final outing with the Italian team.

Several test and reserve drivers got their opportunities to run some laps around the Yas Marina circuit and it was also a very warm welcome back to the embattled Caterham team. Regular driver Kamui Kobayashi and debutant Will Stephens are taking up the reigns for the team this weekend.

Sebastian Vettel led teammate Daniel Ricciardo as the two Red Bull drivers ended the session with the fourth and fifth fastest times respectively. There were quite a few gremlins in the system for several teams as both Williams, McLaren’s Jenson Button and Toro Rosso’s Jean-Eric Vergne were felled by a variety of issues.

Top Ten Standings at the end of Free Practice 1:

1 Hamilton 1m43.476s
2 Rosberg 1m43.609s
3 Alonso 1m45.184s
4 Vettel 1m45.334s
5 Ricciardo 1m45.361s
6 Vergne 1m45.718s
7 Kvyat 1m45.835s
8 Bottas 1m45.913s
9 Perez 1m45.983s
10 Hulkenberg 1m46.030s

November 21, 2014
Video: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Thursday F1 Drivers Press Conference

The Thursday F1 Drivers Press Conference ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is just way too interesting not to watch.

With Mercedes team mates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg duking it out for the 2014 World Drivers’ Championship title, things got a little interesting in there, to say the least. With McLaren delaying their 2015 driver announcement until December, Jenson Button was questioned about his future, and of course with confirmation of Fernando Alonso leaving Ferrari, and Sebastian Vettel joining Kimi Raikkonen at the Scuderia in Alonso’s place, there was plenty of talk about their decisions, their season so far, the catalysts to the change and their futures at their new teams.

Nico Hulkenberg was also present at the Drivers Press Conference but with all the news swirling around his fellow F1 drivers, there was very little point in the Sauber driver being there.

You can read the full transcript of the Thursday F1 Drivers Press Conference here.

November 21, 2014
2014 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Thursday Press Conference

DRIVERS:

Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes)

Nico HULKENBERG (Force India)

Nico ROSBERG (Mercedes)

Sebastian VETTEL (Red Bull Racing)

Fernando ALONSO (Ferrari)

Jenson BUTTON (McLaren)

PRESS CONFERENCE

Lewis, you’re guaranteed the title on Sunday if you finish in the top two, something that you have done for the last six races. It’s your fourth final day title showdown, how are you feeling before this duel in the desert?

Lewis HAMILTON: Yeah, I think it generally feels quite cool to be here, obviously the weather is great, the track’s fantastic, it’s a beautiful place, so, yeah, excited for the weekend.

Nico, it’s your first final day title showdown, how much confidence are you carrying into this weekend from the way you performed last time out in Brazil?

Nico ROSBERG: Yeah, of course it’s great coming into this weekend, the way Brazil went for sure, that I was able to progress after Austin, that gives me a lot of confidence going into this weekend, definitely.

Lewis, back to you, you’ve had two poles and a win here. You also retired twice while leading. Does the fact that the showdown is happening at a track where you have a strong record make any difference?

LH: I’m sure there are positives with it. It’s a great circuit, it’s generally suited the car that I had when I was back in McLaren years ago and it’s definitely a track that has suited my driving style in the past, but every year is different. I hope to take that positivity into this weekend.

Back to you Nico. You qualified ahead of Lewis here last year and you have done so overall in this 2014 season, how much satisfaction do you derive from that?

NR: At the moment I’m not really thinking about that. At the moment I’m focused on trying to win this race. But of course, yes, knowing that helps and gives me a good opportunity this weekend knowing that my qualifying form has been really good, so that should be another plus going into this race here.

Fernando, coming to you, it’s been announced today that you’re leaving Ferrari after five seasons. Tell us why and your thoughts on those five years with the team?

Fernando ALONSO: Yeah, obviously, you know, it’s a new chapter in my career. I felt it was the time to find new projects, new motivation. It was not an easy decision to make. I was in talks, even last year to be honest, and we wait for this year, for the new car, the new turbo era etc. This year I felt around summertime, September, it was time to move and I take the decision. Only time will tell if it’s a good one or a bad one. But what is for sure is that it has been an amazing experience. So, so happy, so proud to have had those five years with an amazing team, amazing brand like Ferrari. I grew up as a driver, as a person, only good feelings and good words. Obviously we missed the championship, came three times second, but I am extremely proud of those second places and the work we did in those years. Now it is time to close one door, to open a new one and we’ll see how it goes.

In terms of opening that new door, McLaren says it will announce its drivers on December 1^st. How much bearing does the test next week with Honda and McLaren have on what you do next?

FA: Zero.

OK. Moving on to Sebastian then. In many ways the destinies of you, Fernando and Jenson have all been interlinked over the last few weeks and months. You’ve signed to replace him [Alonso] on the three-year deal. How are you feeling about that and why is this the right move for you now?

Sebastian VETTEL: I think it felt like the right time. I think it’s not an easy decision to make. Obviously I’ve been with Red Bull for more or less my entire life, since I was 12 years old I’ve been supported by them and obviously I have a very, very strong link to all the people in Austria. Later on obviously I had the opportunity to race for both of their Formula One teams, which we couldn’t see coming once we were starting and part of the Red Bull Junior Team but in terms of timing obviously it worked out brilliantly and the success we’ve had in Formula One, especially with Red Bull Racing over the last four years I think has been an incredible journey. But I think at some stage you feel that you want to take on a new challenge and do something different. I think I don’t have to mention the history of Ferrari in the sport and it’s probably the greatest team to driver for. I’m very excited and very motivated to try to do my best, to put my heart in it and yeah, obviously be successful, that’s target.

You’re a three-time winner of this race here in Abu Dhabi and the outgoing world champion – next year you’ll hand your number one plate to either Lewis or Nico. What’s your commentary on the title battle that those two have fought throughout this year?

SV: Well, I think Mercedes made it very boring this year, so I think it’s good to see that they were battling very closely, they had great races, battling for the lead, which is obviously the most interesting position in the race for the people to watch. Remembering races like Bahrain, I think they put on a great show for the fans and took it to the last race, so I think both of them deserve to win after such a great season but I’m sure if you ask either one of them, they will give you plenty of reasons why each one is deserving more than the other.

Thank you. Coming to you Jenson. Your destiny has been linked to the two gentlemen to your right and their moves. What’s your feeling now on the way things are panning out?

Jenson BUTTON: Nothing has changed for me, for the last two months. So I’ve got nothing else to add, apart from that I go into this weekend looking forward to it. I’ve learned to live in the moment a lot more this year and that’s exactly what I’m going to do. I’ve got my family here this weekend, so looking forward to the weekend and hopefully we can have a good result.

It’s worth noting that you’ve had the third longest career in Formula One history, how do you look back on it at this point?

JB: At this point? It’s everything I set out to achieve. I think when you’re a kid your dream is to get to Formula One, your next dream is to win a race and then win the world championship. I’ve achieved all three of those. Is that enough for a driver? Every driver is different. But I love racing and that’s why, as I said, living in the moment is key right now, not thinking about the future too much and hopefully we can have some good fights this weekend.

OK, thank you for that. Coming to you Nico. You scored points in the first 10 grands prix this year but only four times in the last eight races. What’s been going on there?

Nico HULKENBERG: The second half wasn’t as flawless and as smooth as the first half I’m afraid and on top of that also we seemed to be a lot more competitive initially in the year. We’ve slipped back a bit in terms of development and, you know, Formula One is a fast-living business and if you don’t put the upgrades on the car you get overtaken and I think that’s what happened to us.

There’s a lot of focus on the midfield teams at the moment. From a driver’s point of view, what’s your take on the situation with Force India, Sauber and Lotus?

NH: In terms of what?

Sustainability, the future, the outlook?

NH: Well, obviously we’re here, we’re fighting for points and obviously the target is to beat McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship, which is very ambitious, they are quite far ahead now. We’ll give our best, as every weekend, and give our all and see if we can do it. Otherwise, everything is OK.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Frederic Ferret – l’Equipe) A question to Fernando and Sebastian. You are used to having last grand prix pressure to deal with the title. Can you explain how do you feel at that point and how you dealt with it during the race?

FA: I think every situation is different. I’ve been a couple of times, five times in that situation. All five were different. It depends on whether you are in front, behind, with who you are battling, with which mood you arrive to the race. It depends on the circuit; it depends on anything. I remember Brazil, for example 2012, it was raining on Sunday morning, there are different factors around the race itself that it can change your approach or can change your feelings. I think it’s a very unique thing on those moments and it will be an interesting weekend for Nico, Lewis, wishing them the best of luck because they deserve it after a super championship and, you know, only one can win but let’s see a good race on Sunday.

SV: Well, it’s what you’re working for all year, to arrive at the last race and still have the opportunity to become world champion. I think that’s ultimately what drives all of us. So, yeah, I think the most important thing is to enjoy.

Q: (Ralf Bach – Sport Bild) The first question is: did you make any practice to handle the pressure you have. Everybody expects you will win the title, so you’re the guy who has to lose anything. Second, is it your turn to take it easy and just be second on Sunday or will you demonstrate to the whole world that you will win the title with a victory here?

LH: To the second question, I come into the race weekend to try to win, as I do every race weekend, so nothing changes there. And in terms of the pressure, I don’t particularly feel any. I think I’ve had plenty of experience through my racing career – 15 od years I would say, actually it might be 20 years of racing – to be prepared for today. There’s no special recipe for it.

Q: (Flavio Vanetti – Corriere dello Sport) To Fernando: having the possibility to change something in your relationship, in your history with Ferrari, what would you do?

FA: I don’t know really. I enjoyed the experience, as I said before, and I feel very privileged of what we achieved and lived in those years. The group of people I worked with, it was amazing. I learned so many things in those five years. I’m not the same driver as in 2009, when I arrived. I think I’m more prepared now. I’m better in all the aspects of the driving skills. I think it was a very, very important step in my career. You need to feel the moment when it’s time to move. As I said, I felt it was time for me to find new things. I expressed my wish to the team in September. They understand; they were very helpful on that because obviously I had two more years contract. But they understand my position, they listen and I think it’s the best for both parts and now hopefully we can battle for better positions and wins in the future.

Q: (Jerome Pugmire – AP) Question for Nico Rosberg. Nico, Lewis says he’s not feeling under any particular pressure coming into the race. What is your mindset? Are you feeling under any pressure?

NR: Well, it’s an intense weekend, for sure, yes. I wouldn’t use the word pressure but it’s going to be intense. It’s going to be a great battle. I look forward to it, that’s what I’ve been working towards for a while now, for this sort of chance, this last race here. And, yeah, Lewis is a great competitor and opponent and it would be hopefully a great end to the season. And, of course, I’m here to try and win the race and then I need a bit of help from Lewis that he doesn’t finish second. That’s it. So I’m hoping Lewis can come up with something.

Q: (Thomas Maher – FormulaSpy.com) Question for Sebastian. Sebastian, assuming the decision to leave Red Bull was a difficult one to make, could the team have made any guarantees or promises to you that would have changed your mind and convinced you to stay for 2015?

SV: Look, I have a very, very good relationship, not just with the team but with the whole Red Bull family. Despite the contractual situation here and there, positions in the championship etc, I think the relationship is far too good and once… I don’t know, we have a saying in German that I cannot really translate into English but… obviously my wish was to leave and I think it’s not a good thing, good advice, to stop people when they want to leave and force them to stay, or make them stay or try to convince them – because ultimately they wanted to leave. So, yeah, as I said, obviously it has been a very difficult decision for me to make because it was not a decision against a team, against Red Bull but a decision for my new future. So, for sure, those things, big decisions are not easy but ultimately you need to listen to yourself, listen to your heart and go with that.

Q: (David Croft – Sky Sports F1) Fernando, what was the catalyst for your decision to leave Ferrari? What was that moment that you realized? What was the reason behind it that lead up to quite a momentous decision?

FA: It was not a special moment of the year that I opened the eyes. As I said, last year I had some doubts about 2014. I knew that it was a big change of regulations, so I thought it was the best thing to check how the 2014 new turbo era was going for Ferrari and then, yeah, I had a very close relationship with president Montezemolo, we talk every week and we, more or less, agree that, if this year we were not competitive again, maybe I could think on other options. And yes, when I arrived summer break, I said maybe it’s time to sit with the president and see if for them it’s OK, I would like to go. I need to thank so much Ferrari because they could say no but they understand it was the best for the two parts. This is, again, a true sign of respect and love for this team – and they show me also respect on that. As I said, I stop as a Ferrari driver but from Monday I am a Ferrari supporter.

Q: (Andrew Benson – BBC Sport) Jenson, are you prepared to wait for McLaren to make their decision? Do you want to stay in Formula One before anything else or will there come a point where you want to take the decision out of their hands?

JB: It’s been an interesting few months. When you’re in Formula One for so many years – 15 years – you have blinkers on in terms of anything else apart from Formula One. This is the best sport in the world, this is your life, this is everything. But when you are put in an uncomfortable situation obviously your eyes are opened to other possibilities. And there are a lot of challenges out there, whether it’s in motorsport or other sport or something else altogether. I’m open to many things in life and, for me, I love what I do for a living. I love racing in Formula One and the time I’ve spent with McLaren has been great. The last two years have been a bit tricky in terms of results but in terms of the personnel, they’re mega. We had a barbecue last night and there’s such a good atmosphere in this team. It is like a big family. So, I’ve loved working with them. Will I wait for the decision? That’s something I can’t comment on right now.

Q: (Luis Fernando Ramos – Racing Magazine) A question to Nico Rosberg. If you win, you need somebody to be second ahead of Lewis to be World Champion. In six races no car could get close to the Mercedes. Are you confident that in Abu Dhabi it might be different? There might be a team that can challenge Mercedes – or you know you need an abnormal race in order to have this result?

NR: Of course a lot of things can happen but it can happen as easy as a Williams, for example, having a great start and slotting in between us two. This track is one of the most difficult to overtake. We were looking at that this morning. The speed difference you need to overtake the guy in front is really very big at this track and so that will be one opportunity for example. But there’s many scenarios, so, as I say, I’m optimistic.

Q: (Daniel Johnson – Daily Telegraph) Nico, you mentioned that, really, unless a Williams gets involved perhaps, you need Lewis to make a mistake. Is there anything you can do to try and help that happen?

NR: Yeah, of course. I need to do what I can to try and put the pressure on. In Brazil Lewis made a mistake so there is a chance. I need to do what I can to keep going like that.

Q: (Livio Oricchio – GloboSport.com) Fernando, when you talk to the Ferrari bosses in September, that it would be better for the team for you to leave the company, did you have already another option in your hand? And, if you had, did you believe that you should trust in it because you are leaving the team, Ferrari, probably because the perspective of results won’t be in a short time. And this new option you had in your hand. Did you believe in it?

FA: Well, the thing is a little longer than I explained. We tried to see what was the best possibility. In fact it was… renewing the contract possibility also in the first couple of months of the year, to extend the contract until 2019, so it was a little bit of things going on during the year. Then, when you are inside, when you see things, when you see how the teams are moving, which direction are moving things for the future, maybe you agree, maybe you don’t agree. Probably I didn’t agree so much and in September I said maybe it was the best thing to say bye-bye if it was possible. If I had something in September? No. I had that decision, I have to be happy, I have to be motivated, I need to love what I’m doing and in September I felt it was not the case. And in September I felt that it was not the case – and then after that, I started to look at some possibilities. I trust what I will have. Yes.

Q: (Haoran Zhou – F1 Express) Jenson, would a good race result for you change anything in terms of the future, because you’ve had a good string of results recently?

JB: Personally, I would hope not. I would hope that a result this weekend would not change my fate for the future. I feel that I bring a lot more to a team than just one race but hope that my career would speak a lot louder than one individual race.

Q: (Haoran Zhou – F1 Express) Fernando, you spent the whole of the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix behind Vitaly Petrov. If one of the championship contenders needs to overtake, do you have any suggestions for them?

FA: Not really. I didn’t succeed, so try not to repeat what we did in that race, that will be the best solution for them. These days, there are many tools that we can play with, with electric motor, DRS, things that probably could help in a situation like that. But the best thing is not to stop behind anyone.

Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) Sebastian, how do you see the co-operation with Kimi? Will it be easier for you than with anybody else?

SV: Yes. I think he would probably reply the same if you asked him. That’s what he told me, just before! I think, yes. Why? Because Kimi is probably the least complicated driver on the grid so in terms of performance on the track, when we talk about the skills Kimi has, I don’t think there is a single person in the paddock who doubts his skills, including myself, but from a personal point of view, on a personal level, very straightforward. I don’t expect any complications because I think we have a good relationship but more so, I think we have great respect for each other which I think is always very healthy to deal with in these sorts of situations coming up.

Q: (Walter Koster – Saabrucker Zeitung) Quite another question: gentlemen, a short view back to the past. Thirty years ago, Niki Lauda told us ‘take a monkey, place him into the cockpit and he is able to drive the car.’ Thirty years later, Sebastian told us ‘I had to start my car like a computer, it’s very complicated.’ And Nico Rosberg said that during the race – I don’t remember what race – he pressed the wrong button on the wheel. Question for you both: is Formula One driving today too complicated with twenty and more buttons on the wheel, are you too much under effort, under pressure? What are your wishes for the future concerning the technical programme during the race? Less buttons, more? Or less and more communication with your engineers?

SV: Can you repeat the question?! Yeah, I remember the question. I think it depends all on how the monkey grows up these days. I think it’s a different generation of monkeys that Niki was talking about probably compared to monkeys we have today. Obviously there’s a lot of buttons on the steering wheel, probably too many but I think for us, we grow up like that, it’s a different generation. I think if you put a modern phone in Niki’s hands, I’m not sure he would know what to do – sorry Niki. I think it’s what you get used to. For sure, when I started, for example, in Formula One, there were a lot of procedures I had to learn, a lot of buttons I needed to know how to control etc. But it’s part of cars nowadays. If you jump into a normal road car, there’s also plenty of buttons but in the end the most important bit is the steering wheel, turning the car left and right and the accelerator at the bottom. I think the basics haven’t changed and that’s the important thing, that the sport remains as it has been many many years ago despite how many buttons you have on the steering wheel.

NR: I’ll make this a bit shorter. I think we need to just make sure that the sport stays simple for the fans, that’s the most important thing. The direction, it’s all great, technology fantastic, hybrid power, buttons, everything, that’s all great but we need to make sure that for the fans it stays simple enough. That’s something for the medium term future, that we need to keep an eye on. That’s it.

Q: (Daniel Johnson – The Telegraph) Lewis, there’s been points this year, I think it’s fair to say, when you haven’t felt that the fight between you and Nico has been a totally clean fight. Are you totally confident that it will be this weekend?

LH: Yeah. I don’t really know what else to say. That how it’s been. You have to go into the race weekends believing that’s going to be the case, yeah.

Q: (Daniel Johnson – The Telegraph) Is there anything that you can do to make sure it will be?

LH: Don’t think so.

Q: (Jon McEvoy – Daily Mail) Lewis, will you speak together before the race to ensure that there’s no argy-bargy out there?

LH: No.

Q: (Jon McEvoy – Daily Mail) You don’t need to or you have an understanding already….

LH: We don’t need to. It’s already been discussed at the beginning of the season and several times through the season and particularly after Spa, so there’s no reason to revisit it. We’re not children, we should know what is wrong and what is right.

Q: Nico, do you have anything to add?

NR: No, just that yes, Lewis can do something to keep it clean which is drive cleanly himself. So it’s not like he can’t do anything.

Q: (Abhishek Takle – Midday) Question to both Lewis and Nico: it was 14 years ago that you fought for the championship in go-karting. How does the dynamic change when you’re fighting for a Formula One World Championship? How has it changed for the two of you, because obviously the stakes are a lot higher?

NR: Yeah, it’s quite amazing to think now that 15 years later we’re actually in that position which we used to dream about, to be in the best F1 team, fighting for the championship, fighting for race wins. It’s really amazing. Of course now it’s more intense, there’s more surrounding it, that’s the best way to put it.

LH: I generally feel it’s quite similar to back in the karting days. At that age, it was as intense as I had experienced, I wanted to win back then and nothing’s changed.

Q: (Haoran Zhou – F1 Express) Lewis, do have any family with you this weekend, because generally you perform better, you smile a lot more when you have family around? That’s just a personal observation but I just want to know does the whole family come to Abu Dhabi for this important weekend?

LH: I have a couple of friends and I think one or two cousins in the grandstands and I’ve got a close friend that’s with me in the paddock but otherwise no other family here.

Q: (Christobal Rosaleny – Car and Driver) Fernando, I’ve seen that you are wearing a new helmet at this Grand Prix; could you tell us its meaning?

FA: Yeah, I wear a helmet with a picture of a pit stop this year on one side, the Italian flag in the middle and the signatures of everybody in the team on the other side. I just told them this morning that it’s the last time that I will jump in a Ferrari, so I want to bring all of them with me because they were a part of this fantastic experience and I want to do my last race with them on the track. To be honest, it’s a been a little bit of tricks because at Sochi, I took all the signatures from everybody but when I arrived here, we were missing 20 or 25 so now the helmet is not as perfect as it should be, because now we have all the 25 signatures everywhere but I’m happy and proud of them and happy to wear them on my helmet.

Q: (Jerome Pugmire – Associated Press) Sebastian, how emotional do you think your first race for Ferrari will be, considering how much of an idol Michael was for you?

SV: Yeah, I think it will be special for sure. Obviously, it’s a childhood dream. When I was growing up myself but also for a lot of kids at the go-kart track in Germany, Michael was our hero. And at that time he was obviously still with Benetton but when we grew up, obviously he was still part of us. He moved to Ferrari, took on a massive challenge back then in ’96 and got very close the years before but made it happen in 2000. Since then, I think every link that you have or when you think back it’s always Michael in the red cars so I think it will be a very special journey and I’m very much looking forward to it. Not only the first race, to be honest with you, but even the first time in winter testing that I will step into the car, I think will be very special and will be something that remains with you probably for the rest of your life so I’m very much looking forward to it, I don’t know yet how it feels but I’m very keen to find out.

Q: (Frederic Ferret – L’Equipe) Fernando, if you have the possibility to chose your teammate for next year, would you chose Jenson?

FA: Hmm.

JB: Take your time!

FA: I don’t know where I will be so… We will see.

November 20, 2014
2014 Formula 1 Ethiad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Weather Report

The 19th and final round of the Formula 1 World Championship and we at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.

Two drivers competing for the title and both of them from the same team. Lewis Hamilton the current championship leader is 17 points ahead of his team mate and title contender Nico Rosberg. Either driver could win the title, although it may be a bit of a tough ask for Rosberg. But this is Formula 1 and we know that anything can happen and with double points being awarded at this race, things can become interesting.

Pirelli are bringing the red super soft and the yellow soft compound tyres to the race this weekend. This is a step down from last year where they had the yellow soft and white medium. Pirelli know the 5.55km long Yas Marina Circuit very well. The post season test will take place at the circuit after the race and it has been the host of many F1 tests. Pirelli have also done private testing at the circuit prior to their entry in F1 in 2011.

Pirelli feel that the super soft and the soft compound tyres will provide the balance for the drivers for the slow 90 degree corners where maximum mechanical grip is needed and for the medium speed corners. With this being a day-into-night race, they feel that the drop in track temperature will be managed more effectively with their choice of tyre.

The weather for the weekend can be described as glorious. There is no rain forecast for the entire race weekend and it will remain warm and dry throughout with temperatures in the high 20s during the day. Lower temperatures are forecast for the evening but nothing below 20 degrees centigrade.

Below is a snap shot of the weather for the weekend and a live radar image of Abu Dhabi with an hourly forecast.

November 19, 2014
Broadcast Times for the 2014 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

The final round of the Formula 1 World Championship brings us to the spectacular Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.

The title battle has come down to the final race and it is between the two Mercedes drivers, Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton leads his team mate in the drivers standings by 17 points. A win for Hamilon in Abu Dhabi will secure the title for him.

But as the famous Murray Walker once said, “Anything can happen in Formula 1, and it usually does.” These words will no doubt be in the minds of both the drivers when they line up on the grid for Sunday’s race. There’s still a chance for Rosberg to take the title. He will need to win the race with Hamilton finishing no higher than 3rd.

Further down the field, with Red Bull consolidating their second place in the constructors championship and with Williams in a potential 3rd place finish, Ferrari will be hoping to keep McLaren at bay to hold on to 4th while McLaren on the other hand, who have been looking better in terms of pace as each race goes by, will be hoping they can finish ahead of Ferrari in the constructors championship.

It will no doubt be exciting to watch the two Mercedes drivers have a go at each other during the race. With a few more overtaking opportunities than the previous race in Brazil, it will make defending a position that much more tougher. Let the duel in the desert commence.

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is the second day-into-night race on the calendar after the Bahrain Grand Prix. Below are the broadcast times for the 2014 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix(All times are GMT+2)

Free Practice 1: Friday 11:00

Free Practice 2: Friday 15:00

Free Practice 3: Sat 12:00

Qualifying: Sat 15:00

Race: Sunday 15:00

November 19, 2014
F1 2014: Season Finale Preview – Abu Dhabi: All or Nothing

At the very heart of its multi-billion rand, globe-trotting and glamorous veneer lays the ultimate goal – to be the Formula 1 world champion. Since 1950 every driver, team and engineer has embarked on the quest to be a part of the Formula 1 legend. In this iconic sport nothing is more important and nothing is pursued with a greater determination than to be the best.

What are the chances that as the first ever Formula 1 world champion Giuseppe ‘Nino’ Farina held aloft his title clinching trophy that he dreamt of how this sport would grow to enthrall and fascinate the world, turn into a religion for many, and race in countries and venues as far-off as deserts of Abu Dhabi. So it is that we come to the conclusion of the 2014 season in the twilight of the Yas Marina circuit. A season that has seen ground-breaking technology and will be remembered for a fierce battle between teammates.

Two short years ago Lewis Hamilton went through, arguably, the most difficult period of his Formula 1 career. The 2012 season at McLaren was marred by too many unfortunate performances, an on-track clash with his teammate, and the separation from those who held his best interests at heart. The move to Mercedes coincided with the metamorphosis of Lewis Hamilton. A more mature and re-focused Hamilton dedicated himself to the Mercedes cause and he appeared to be re-invigorated by the ability to stretch his wings and sever the near lifelong tie to McLaren.

In 2014, his father re-emerged in the pit garage; he moved away from manager Simon Fuller. Now he had people in his corner concerned with only his well-being and not that of the brand Lewis Hamilton. This shift has had a monumental effect both on and off the track. Where in the past Hamilton was extremely self-deprecating he now took the difficulties in stride and learnt from them. Gone was the Lewis Hamilton that succumbed, slightly, to the pressure of Formula 1. In his place is a driver and man whose maturity has allowed him to reach an ominous level of focus and determination. A level easily high enough to make him a double world champion at the end of the 2014 Abu Dhabi grand prix.

Up until this season Nico Rosberg’s F1 career has been solid, blotted with a few shining moments, but nothing quite spectacular. Truth be told he hasn’t been outlandishly brilliant this season either. What he has been is quick and devastatingly consistent. Ever the opportunist Rosberg has proven to be a formidable opponent to Hamilton. It isn’t something that many would’ve predicted given Hamilton’s near god-like reputation in some circles. Taking the title is a tad more difficult for the German than it is his teammate. He needs a few things to go his way and not Hamilton’s this weekend. Maybe it will, maybe it won’t but you can bet your bottom dollar that if the opportunity beckons Nico Rosberg will seize it consummate ease.

There are potential stumbling blocks in both these driver’s path. Lest we forget the Mercedes has had its fair share of issues throughout the season. Unreliability is surely one of the cruellest mistresses of the sport and we pray to the F1 Gods that no such travesty has the chance to destroy what should be rousing end to the season.

Then there is the two Williams shaped anomalies. At the very least both the Williams’ will feature heavily in qualifying and from there should be able to be quite a nuisance in the race too. The Yas Marina circuit’s long straights are tailor-made to the Williams’ super-slippery-mega-fast-in-a-straight-line aerodynamics. McLaren‘s racing director Eric Boullier believes that their “downward spiral has ended” and though they shouldn’t be troubling the Mercedes they are embroiled in a fight with Ferrari for fourth place in the constructor’s standings.

The never-say-die mentality of this team has allowed for a steady improvement over the last few races. This improvement will culminate with a “new aerodynamic concept” package, to run this weekend, from the design table of new chief engineer Peter Prodromou.

This has been a mega season. Yes, it’s been bossed by one team but look at it from a different perspective. It’s been dominated by near inconceivable technological advances and we can honestly say that at the end of it all whoever walks away as the champion will do so on the back of some of the finest driving for some time and in the midst of an intricately wicked psychological war that fans have relished. This is what it all comes down to, what this majestic, passion-fuelled sport is all about – the quest to be the best, to be number one, to be the world champion.

November 18, 2014
It’s Hamilton vs Rosberg to the end – here’s how the F1 Drivers’ Championship can be won

Nico Rosberg’s ruthless drive to take the victory at the Brazilian Grand Prix, means that only 17 points now separate him and Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton, who currently leads the F1 Drivers’ Championship.

But, Abu Dhabi holds a whole new ball game in store for the two championship rivals. With double points up for grabs at the season finale on 23 November, the winner of the race will add a whopping 50 points to their standings! Hamilton however, needs only finish second, or finish ahead of his team mate in order to secure his second world drivers’ championship title.

Rosberg is hungry to follow in his father’s footsteps by securing his first drivers’ championship title and he knows that victory in Abu Dhabi could secure it for him, despite only winning 5 races so far this season compared to Hamilton’s 10 race wins.

A tie in points would see Hamilton win because he has the larger number of race wins under his belt.

Here’s a look at the different ways in which the F1 Drivers’ Championship title can be won:

Lewis Hamilton can win the Drivers’ Championship title in the following ways:

By winning or finishing in 2nd place.
By finishing 5th or better if Rosberg doesn’t win.
By finishing 6th or better if Rosberg is not in the top two.
By finishing 8th or better if Rosberg is not in the top three.
By finishing 9th or better if Rosberg is 5th.
He’ll win automatically if Rosberg is out of the top five, even if he doesn’t score any points.

Here’s how Nico Rosberg can win the Drivers’ Championship title:

By winning and hoping Hamilton finishes 3rd or lower.
By finishing 2nd, with Hamilton being 6th or lower.
By finishing 3rd and Hamilton is 7th or lower.
By finishing 4th and Hamilton is 9th or lower.
By finishing 5th and Hamilton is 10th or lower.

November 10, 2014
Q & A with Nico Rosberg: I never let Lewis get within striking distance

After a mistake on the first lap saw Nico Rosberg lose out to team mate Lewis Hamilton in the United States Grand Prix, Rosberg knew that he needed to win in Brazil, and he did just that. In doing so, he cut his championship rival’s lead down to 17 points and still stands a chance of taking the title at the season ending double-points finale in Abu Dhabi.

Following the Brazilian Grand Prix, Rosberg chatted to reporters about how he kept Hamilton at bay and what his win means moving into the final race of the season.

This exclusive Q&A with Nico Rosberg was published on the official Formula One website:

Q: Nico, it was an enthralling race and not one for the faint-hearted. How much could you feel Lewis (Hamilton) breathing down your neck?
Nico Rosberg: Yes, it was sizzling. But it was not the race alone: I have felt very comfortable the whole weekend and I’ve had a great deal of self-confidence. I was convinced that I had learned from what I didn’t do so well in Austin – the little weakness that I had. And it makes me very happy to see that I have made real steps forward in that short time since the US Grand Prix. So when I reflect on the race, the start was super, and in the first stint I already saw that I was able to control the gap to Lewis. It was important to never let him get close enough to try a real attack. Then he made his mistake – and I used that situation as we were both very much at the limit with the tyres all the time. We really had to watch out to make it with three stops, so when he made his mistake and fell behind by something like six seconds that was also the moment when I could take it a bit easier to make sure that my tyres lasted until the last lap of my stint.

Q: What does victory here mean in terms of your title chances?
Nico Rosberg: Unfortunately it is one race too late to have it in my hands – only by four points. Sad but true! But now I need a little bit of help from somebody else as Lewis must not finish in P2 in Abu Dhabi – the maximum to keep my chances realistic is him finishing no higher than P3. Maybe (that will be) a Williams that you cannot pass on the straight!

Q: What went through your head when you heard over team radio that your team mate – and the leader in the standings – had made a mistake?
Nico Rosberg: I enjoyed it! (laughs) That was the moment when I knew that I could play it a bit easier and not have to push the tyres to the ultimate limit.

Q: After his mistake Lewis was able to close the gap again significantly – in the end it was only 1.4 seconds. How much were you in control?
Nico Rosberg: I felt good today and was pretty sure that I would not make a mistake today – that I had learned from Austin. So I tried to keep my rhythm and had a watchful eye never to let him get to within striking distance. And it worked – contrary to Austin. I draw much hope from today’s race for the shootout in Abu Dhabi.

Q: Mathematically, Lewis only has to finish in the same position that he did today in Abu Dhabi to take the title. But do you think he is chewing on today’s race and that you are probably in a better position than he is?
Nico Rosberg: Believe me, I would definitely prefer to be the hunted than the hunter. But these are the facts and Abu Dhabi will be a thriller – and a blockbuster for the fans. I have to win – at least that is the plan!

Q: How difficult is it to push all the championship permutations to one side and focus on pure racing? Abu Dhabi might be the biggest weekend of your career…
Nico Rosberg: Of course it is difficult. But since Austin I’ve known that I have to win the last two races – today I did that, and the plan is to do the same in Abu Dhabi. After today I feel that it will also work in Abu Dhabi.

Q: What are you going to do in the week between here and Abu Dhabi?
Nico Rosberg: Ha, I need to motivate Felipe Massa to have a very relaxing time and then to have a stunning weekend in Abu Dhabi so he comes in second and I win the race!

November 10, 2014
2014 Formula 1 Petrobras Brazilian Grand Prix: Sunday Press Conference

DRIVERS

1st Nico ROSBERG (Mercedes)

2nd Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes)

3rd Felipe MASSA (William)

PODIUM INTERVIEWS

(Conducted by Nelson Piquet)

Nico, what a fantastic race you did. I was really impressed with all your performance. Your father must be very proud of you. But I want to ask you one thing. Of course you are driving there, with Hamilton behind you and with DRS. Do you think this is fair?

Nico ROSBERG: First of all, thank you very, great to see you. No, I’m very happy with the whole weekend. The whole weekend I’ve been feeling comfortable in the car, I was able to attack and control the gap also to Lewis in the race. So that worked out great and I’m very, very happy. Especially in Brazil. The atmosphere is fantastic and also great to see the support that you’re giving Felipe here, that’s awesome, and also for me. So obrigado.

Hamilton, I have been for a long time very jealous of you – not only of your driving but also of your old girlfriend. Where is Nicole?

Lewis Hamilton: …She’s at home.

OK, say hello to her and you did fantastic. I think everything will stay in the last race. It’s very good.

Felipe, fantastic. I have to say in English first. He did a very good race. I want to ask him. What is he going to do to prepare himself to always keep Button behind him?

Felipe MASSA: First of all, I’m so happy for my race. So many mistakes also in my race. I had the drive through, the five seconds for the penalty for the sped limiter. Also I stop in the McLaren [pit box] because it was a similar and it just was prepared before my garage. But the car was fantastic, I’m so grateful for the pace.

Back to Lewis. Tell me about the race? I think it was a very, very difficult race, and I think everything will finish in one race at the end of the year.

LH: It was an amazing race; I had a great time. Obviously I had a big mistake in the mid part of the race but otherwise the car was fantastic, the team did an amazing job and it was a great race with Nico. And great to see Felipe up here. We had the best crowd today. I enjoyed it.

And what do you think about Abu Dhabi?

LH: I’m going to drive pretty much the same. Hopefully I’ll improve. Today, obviously, I lost a little bit of time but otherwise it’s everything to play for in the last race.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q: So Nico, many congratulations, you’ve taken it down to the wire then. Pole position trophy won yesterday and then an important win today. Is this one of your best? How good does it feel to have delivered today under pressure?

NR: Yeah, it was a great weekend all in all. Austin was a tough day for me on Sunday, so yeah, it was important for me to just improve, because just didn’t do a good enough job in the race in Austin. Today I managed to do that, so that I’m happy about. I learned from Austin and did better so that’s a big step in the right direction. One race too late but, y’know, there’s still all to play for. Now I’m just hoping for [Abu Dhabi] and need to try and keep this going now. Really feeling good in the car and everything. And it was a great race with Lewis. He had a great race too, just behind me all the time. I always needed to make sure that the gap was always such that there was no chance for him to go for the overtake – unlike Austin. And managed to do that, so that was good.

Q: Lewis, with a 17-point lead the numbers still favour you going into that title showdown – but at the end there we heard your team say to you on the radio “sorry for the stop”. You tried to do two hot laps coming into your second stop, you were fastest lap of the race on the first one but then you spun on the second one, dropped seven seconds to Nico. You managed to close it up – but do you think that spin cost you chance of a victory today?

LH: I think ultimately it cost me the win, yeah. I mean, I was much quicker up until that point and on that lap I’d gone a second quicker whilst Nico pitted and I thought I was going to pit at the end of that lap so I used everything of the tyres. The next lap, I had nothing left. Either way, at the end of the day, I made a mistake, I locked the rears into Turn Four and with the under-rotation, just spun me around. Second time it’s happened this weekend. So, no-one’s fault but mine. Still, great result for the team. Nico drove really well, great, defensive, no mistakes and ultimately we got a one-two. I really was pushing right to the chequered flag, which is what motor racing’s all about. So I really enjoyed it.

Q: It is a record, 11 one-two finishes, beaten the record of Senna and Prost from 1988 – just a quick word from the two of you on another one-two.

NR: It’s fantastic. The team is doing such an awesome job, all-in-all. Just keeping on pushing, development rate through the year also. It’s so great to be a part of that movement. And you can feel it in the team. Everybody is really, really pumped and just fully head-down focussed all the way. Because it’s also… it’s a change now. We used to be always hunting and now we’re the hunted, and that’s a big change. It’s great to see how the team has adapted and not slackened off because that is always difficult, when you get to the front to then stay there. It seems at the moment that we’re really going strong and that’s fantastic.

Lewis, nice bit of history?

LH: Absolutely incredible. This year as a team we’ve broken a couple of records and it’s just an unbelievable job by the team, obviously for us to be able to finish one-two, great reliability and ultimately the car has been the best car I’ve ever driven so big thank you to all the guys at the factory.

Q: Felipe, great response from the crowd here to you today. It’s like a win. Obviously you managed to survive quite a lot of things in that race: a penalty you had to serve for speeding in the pitlane; you went and paid a visit to another pitbox on your way to your own – but you managed to recover from that and get the podium you so badly wanted here this weekend. What made the difference for you today?

FM: I think the race was amazing. Everything that happened in my race today. So, I think the most important thing was that the pace was there, the car was quick. I’ve been so happy with the car during the whole all weekend. The car was so competitive – unfortunately not enough to beat these guys here, which is winning all the races. I’m so happy with the race, not happy with my mistakes today. Just got a problem when I braked for the pitstop, I pressed the pit-limiter but for whatever reason the pit-limiter was not inside, and then just past the speed I brake, I press again and it was a problem I had today. And then I managed to catch the guys trying to put the gap again. The car was fantastic. I managed to overtake many cars, catch Button as well, that he was in front. Then I stop. I was opening the gap compared to Jenson for about five, six seconds, maybe even more. Then I stop in the wrong garage. I stop in the McLaren because they change our garage this race and we are a lot more in the middle and McLaren with the similar colour – not white but y’know – I thought it was our garage. They were ready. Then I just stopped there and lost a lot of time because of that. But anyway, it was not enough to… pushing again, doing quick laps all the time and managing the tyres and just opening again compared to Jenson. It was really a fantastic race, and these people… they’re still here, singing and screaming. It’s amazing. The whole energy that I had this weekend, it’s difficult to explain. Difficult to explain the emotion – so thank you very much for all of our Torcida [fan club] that was pushing the whole weekend, every day. It was amazing.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Rodrigo Franca – VIP Magazine) Question to Nico and Lewis: of course, there are double points for Abu Dhabi, the chase for the title. Would you guys, if you had the chance to change it for a single race, not double points, would you do that and why?

NR: Well, I find it artificial and I don’t like it in general. Of course, now, with the way it is, it’s great for me now, at the moment, but you know that’s just because of the situation but in general… There are other sports which have tried the same sort of thing, like NASCAR and they’ve done this very successfully. The fans love it and everything, so we need to keep on reviewing it. It’s good to try something and we’ll see how it goes this year. The important thing is that the fans are happy, that’s the most important thing, and we need to see if we keep on doing it or change or whatever.

LH: The same as Nico.

Q: (Paolo Ianieri – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Nico, you must win in Abu Dhabi but Lewis has to finish third for you to win the championship. Who could help you? Do you think somebody…

NR: He’s the man (indicating Felipe). I need some Felipe Massa help.

FM: I hope I win!

NR: No, that’s not so much help. Not so fast, in between.

Q: (Vladimir Rogovets – SB – Belarus Segodnya) Felipe, here you were really quick today. You were first after the champions, Mercedes. You are now 36 years old, for example, Max Verstappen will be 17 for his first Grand Prix. How long will you be staying a Formula One driver?

FM: Me? I don’t know. I will stay while I have this type of results, while I am competitive and while I enjoy it, what I’m doing so I’m really enjoying my moment, even if I want to have better results like we’re having today. So I want to keep this moment until I am enjoying myself. I don’t see the point to stop. I’m driving for a fantastic team, they really like me, they really support me, respect me, so I’m here and I think Verstappen is doing a good job. He’s young but he’s quick, he’s won everything he could until now so he has a talent. We cannot forget that we got our opportunity to get into Formula One, we show our talent and we need to understand… It’s true that he’s a little bit too young. If I need to chose, I would prefer to wait a little more, but you have maybe one opportunity in Formula One so you need to be ready. I would say that maybe now it’s a little bit easier with the car, with driving now, how it is with all this technology. Maybe it’s a little bit easier compared to when I started for example. The car was a little bit more difficult to drive, so it was a little more physical as well compared to now. Now it’s so easy to race. I think that in this aspect, it’s a little bit easier for a young driver to start but it’s important to have the talent and to have everything inside his brain so he can do a good job.

Q: (Felipe Siquera – globoesporte.com) Massa, when you came into the McLaren pits, when you pushed the wrong button, did you think you could lose the podium at that moment?

FM: Yeah. I think I could lose the podium because of the first mistake with the five second penalty, speeding in the pit lane. I think I could have lost the podium there. So disappointed that that thing happened and then I was pushing even harder. The problem is that you cannot push so hard because otherwise you use the tyres too much. I managed to take care of the tyres and I managed to put a good pace straightaway, but I was worried by the first mistake. Not the second because Jenson was behind me and it was not enough to lose the position, but the first one, yes.

Q: (Michael Schmidt – Auto, Motor und Sport) Lewis, when you locked the rears in turn four, was it because of the graining on the rears? We also saw you had a blistered right front; did that have anything to do with it?

LH: No, literally because I took too much… when they told me to push, I was under the impression that I had only one lap to do, so I used all the tyres that I had left, that I had saved and when they told me to go by, I kept pushing but I think the rears were grained, the rears were dead and I just lost a little bit of the grip, but up until then it was looking great. Overall, I’m really happy. I came back, I clearly had a lot more pace than Nico today. I know that he would have seen that, obviously, by closing down the seven seconds (gap) but he did a good job to not make any mistakes while I was there, so I’m looking forward to the next race.

Q: (Ted Kravitz – Sky Sports) Nico, it’s been an immaculate weekend for you. Were you confident that you would have been able to keep Lewis behind you even if he had not had that spin? And you didn’t look particularly happy coming off the podium, what was that about?

NR: No, I am happy, very happy. I don’t know; that was a wrong impression. No, I was confident, yes, definitely, because already in the first stint I could see that I could control the gap and could just make sure that Lewis didn’t come into the region where he could launch an attack, so from that point of view, once I saw that, I was very confident that I could keep on controlling the gap for the whole race. Also, when Lewis had the spin and was further behind, I saved more tyres than I normally would have done and so that I could just make sure that at the end of the stint I had enough, because it was so critical on tyres today and that worked out really well too.

Q: (Leandro Alvares – Auto Esporte) Lewis, Senna was the last champion with a turbo engine; now you have the chance in this new era. As an Ayrton fan, does it mean anything to you?

LH: That he won? I mean winning this championship at the moment has no relation to Senna. No, this is something me and my family have worked very hard to do but of course, for me, Ayrton was my favourite driver of all time. Whenever my name is mentioned in the same sentence, I feel very honoured, very proud and naturally, he was a genius and a perfectionist at what he did and that’s what I aspire to be like.

Q: (Claudio Nogueira – O Globo) For both Lewis and Nico, is it more difficult to fight against your teammate or against a driver from another team, driving for the title?

NR: That’s a difficult one. I don’t know, I don’t know if it’s… I think it’s the same you know. Lewis is a really strong competitor, and OK, he has the same car as me, that has advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that the car is the same, so that, for example, today I know that he didn’t have more top speed than me so I know exactly what he has. I don’t know, it’s difficult to answer, but of course it is a great challenge, it’s a great battle, fantastic also that the team is always letting us race, letting us battle, and also treating us 100 percent equally at all times. That’s really important. We’re both very lucky to be in that situation and that’s awesome.

LH: They’re both completely different. I would imagine it’s probably harder with the same car because only you can make the difference whereas when you’re racing another team, they will be races where one is quicker, the other is quicker as you saw in the championship with me and Felipe. There were tracks where he was quicker and there were tracks that I was quicker at. It’s a different championship, for sure.

Q: (Renan Couto – Warm-Up) Felipe, are you confident that you keep this pace at the next race in Abu Dhabi?

FM: Yeah, I am. I’ve been confident that we will have the car to fight for the podium in most of the races, as we saw in the last race where we were fighting for the podium. Unfortunately I lost the podium in the last race but we’ve had many podiums in the last races as a team and I really believe we can fight and we can have the possibility to be on the podium again in the next race. The car is good, competitive and I don’t think anybody will have different pieces so whatever things that will make the car quicker than this track, so I really hope we can be very strong on that track as well.

Q: (Livio Oricchio – Universo OnLine) Lewis, the last two times you arrived at the last race of the season with the chance of being World Champion, here at this circuit in 2007 and 2008, you were starting Formula One and you made small mistakes. How do you feel yourself for the next race in the same condition? You are very close to being World Champion; do you feel more prepared, the chance of making small mistakes are maybe reduced? If you remember, you also made a mistake today.

LH: Not really. I think today…. I think it was a lot different back then and obviously today I recovered from it, much better than perhaps I did in the past. Today wasn’t racing to win the World Championship as I was obviously trying to get points. The next one is a different one and as I’m approaching it, I guess I would decide how I approach it.

Q: (Paolo Ianieri – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Lewis, you were very fast in the first and last sector but you were always losing quite a lot to Nico in the middle one. Was it because there was a little bit of a difference in the set-up? And do you think you had a chance at some point to attack or in the last few laps you were happy with it?

LH: When I was close to him or in general? In the middle sector it’s all downforce. Due to being right behind him, I couldn’t get the exit of turn nine so I would lose out through that middle sector and I couldn’t stay close in the last sector. Obviously if I was in clean air it would be different.

Q: (Paolo Ianieri – La Gazzetta dello Sport) And to both of you, after Abu Dhabi, when the championship is over, do you think that you’re going to sit together somewhere, go over the season, discuss what happened, about the hard times you had and get over it?

FM: I think they will move to the same apartment.

LH: Well, we live in the same building so…

FM: You’d spend a lot less money living together so it’s easy.

LH: I don’t think so.

NR: Well, we’ll see. At the moment it’s very neutral, the relationship, and that’s where it always comes back to. Of course we’ve had difficult times and then better times. I think it’s always going to be like that. It’s just very competitive, you know? It’s a great competition, exactly the same as it was 15 years ago all over again. Now I just hope that we have a fantastic last race. It’s going to be exciting, that’s for sure and we’ll see who wins.

November 10, 2014
F1 2014: Brazilian GP – Sao Paulo Success For Rosberg

The one thing Nico Rosberg needed to be this weekend was perfect and he came as close to it as any Formula 1 driver could ever dream of.

Nico Rosberg converted his tenth pole position of the season into victory at the Brazilian Grand Prix under serious pressure from teammate Lewis Hamilton. The two Silver Arrows led cleanly off the front-row of the grid and ran line astern for the shortened first stint of the race. As the soft Pirelli tyres were giving up the ghost on the newly re-surfaced Interlagos circuit it was Rosberg who blinked first and dived into the pitlane for a set of the medium compound tyres.

Shrewdly, Hamilton had been biding his time and unleashed an almighty fast lap as Rosberg pitted. It would’ve been enough to give Hamilton the lead of the race and perhaps even the race victory.

A half spin into turn four undid all the Brit’s progress and handed Rosberg a 7.5 second lead after the round of pitstops.

Hamilton brilliantly reduced the gap to little more than half a second but this time not even his unrelenting tenacity was enough to beat Rosberg.

The F1 Gods seemed to be conspiring against local favourite Felipe Massa as the Brazilian had to overcome several dicey moments during his race.

First, the Williams driver was forced to serve a five second penalty for speeding in the pitlane. Later, and quite comically, Massa nearly stopped in the McLaren pitbox, whose mechanics are similarly decked out in white overalls, as he came in for a fresh set of boots.

Nevertheless, much to the pleasure of the crowd Massa secured his first podium of the 2014 season.

The man who clinched his own world title here in 2009, Jenson Button, underlined McLaren’s recent progress with an impressive fourth place at the end of the 71 laps.

Sebastian Vettel completed a quiet run into fifth in a relatively solid afternoon of racing for the four-time champion. Who would have thought, as Vettel went on a nine race winning streak in 2013, that he would ever be racing in quite such anonymity as he did in this Brazilian Grand Prix. But so the wheel of Formula 1 turns, mercilessly and with emphatic certainty.

Ferrari, to some extent, put together a better performance with a sixth and seventh place finish for Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen respectively. The two teammates battled late on in the race as Kimi Raikkonen was the only driver to successfully complete a two-stop strategy.

Eventually, fresher tyres allowed Fernando Alonso past Raikkonen who could’ve had a slightly better afternoon if not for some finger-trouble on the front-jack in the pits which cost the Finn roughly six seconds.

Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg finished eighth overall a scant two tenths off Raikkonen while Kevin Magnussen ended a distant ninth in the second McLaren.

Valterri Bottas was never able to recover from a delay in his own pitstop which was owing to a loose safety-belt. Bottas confirmed post-race that severe graining on his tyres significantly affected his pace as well. The only two retirements were in the form of Lotus’ Romain Grosjean who pulled off in a smoking heap and Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo who suffered a front-left suspension failure.

Perfection is what was called for from Rosberg and what was needed to beat Lewis Hamilton.

He nearly succumbed to the relentless pressure from his teammate but this time unlike in Italy, Russia and the United States, Rosberg’s mental fortitude was resolute.

This victory has repaired some of the psychological damage inflicted by Hamilton and proved that come Abu Dhabi Nico Rosberg will be there fighting tooth and nail until the very last possible second.

November 10, 2014