Germany’s Nico Rosberg won the Brazilian Grand Prix yesterday to end team-mate Lewis Hamilton’s run of five successive victories and cut the Briton’s championship lead to 17 points with one race remaining.
Hamilton was second, 1.4 seconds behind, with Mercedes setting a Formula One record of 11 one-two finishes in a season with their 30 podium finishes in 2014 also a record.
“It was a great weekend,” said Rosberg, who started on pole position after lapping fastest in every practice session and phase of qualifying at Interlagos.
“The whole weekend I’ve been feeling comfortable in the car, I was able to attack and control the gap to Lewis in the race so that worked out great.
“There’s still all to play for. I just need to keep this going now,” said Rosberg.
The final race at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina circuit on Nov. 23 will offer double points for the first time – 50 for the winner – but Hamilton now needs only a second-place finish to wrap up his second title.
Hamilton has 334 points to Rosberg’s 317.
The team also equalled the record held by Ferrari and McLaren of 15 wins in a season, with Rosberg now on five to his British rival’s 10.
The two Mercedes drivers were in a race of their own on a sunny afternoon, with Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg the only other driver to lead during the pitstops.
Hamilton made a big mistake on lap 28 as he pushed to gain an advantage after Rosberg had pitted, spinning and skidding off at turn four.
That cost him seven seconds and, he said, ultimately the win.
From then on, the 2008 champion charged back, steadily narrowing the gap until the ‘Silver Arrows’ were just half a second apart.
“It was an amazing race, I had a great time,” said Hamilton, who was hoping to become the first British driver to win six races in a row.
Brazilian Felipe Massa returned to the podium in front of his cheering home crowd with third place for Williams, 41 seconds behind despite a stop/go penalty for speeding in pitlane.
Massa had only himself to blame for more lost time when he pulled in to the McLaren pits instead of Williams.
Mercedes-engined cars filled the four top slots, with McLaren’s Jenson Button fourth, and Red Bull’s quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel fifth.
Ferrari duo Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen were sixth and seventh in the final positions with Hulkenberg eighth and McLaren’s Kevin Magnussen ninth.
Finland’s Valtteri Bottas took the last point for Williams.
Brazilian Grand Prix result
| 1. Nico Rosberg (Germany) | Mercedes | 1:30:02.555 |
| 2. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) | Mercedes | +00:01.457 |
| 3. Felipe Massa (Brazil) | Williams-Mercedes | 00:41.031 |
| 4. Jenson Button (Britain) | McLaren | 00:48.658 |
| 5. Sebastian Vettel (Germany) | Red Bull-Renault | 00:51.420 |
| 6. Fernando Alonso (Spain) | Ferrari | 01:01.906 |
| 7. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) | Ferrari | 01:03.730 |
| 8. Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) | Force India-Mercedes | 01:03.934 |
| 9. Kevin Magnussen (Denmark) | McLaren | 01:10.085 |
| 10. Valtteri Bottas (Finland) | Williams-Mercedes | 1 lap |
| 11. Daniil Kvyat (Russia) | Toro Rosso-Renault | 1 lap |
| 12. Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) | Lotus-Renault | 1 lap |
| 13. Jean-Eric Vergne (France) | Toro Rosso-Renault | 1 lap |
| 14. Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) | Sauber-Ferrari | 1 lap |
| 15. Sergio Perez (Mexico) | Force India-Mercedes | 1 lap |
| 16. Adrian Sutil (Germany) | Sauber-Ferrari | 1 lap |
| r. Romain Grosjean (France) | Lotus-Renault | 8 laps |
| r. Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) | Red Bull-Renault | 32 laps |
Fastest lap: Lewis Hamilton,1:13.555, lap 62.
Next race: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Nov. 23.
Drivers Championship
1. Hamilton (Mercedes) 334; 2. Rosberg (Mercedes) 317; 3. Ricciardo (Red Bull) 214; 4. Vettel (Red Bull) 159; 5. Alonso (Ferrari) 157; 6. Bottas (Williams) 156; 7. Button (McLaren) 106; 8. Massa (Williams) 98; 9. Hulkenberg (Force India) 80; 10. Magnussen (McLaren) 55; 11. Raikkonen (Ferrari) 53; 12. Perez (Force India) 47; 13. Vergne (Toro Rosso) 22; 14. Grosjean (Lotus) 8; 15. Kvyat (Toro Rosso) 8; 16. Maldonado (Lotus) 2; 17. Bianchi (Marussia) 2.
Constructors
1. Mercedes 651; 2. Red Bull 373; 3. Williams-Mercedes 254; 4. Ferrari 210; 5. McLaren 161; 6. Force India 127; 7. Toro Rosso 30; 8. Lotus-Renault 10; 9. Marussia-Ferrari 2.