(BBC Sport)
Thirty-one-year-old Nico Rosberg (No. 6 AMG Petronas Mercedes) won his first Formula 1 world title at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday. Contentiousness remained right down to the last lap between teammates Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton (No. 44 AMG Petronas Mercedes), however. Hamilton, who won the race (he won ten races to Rosberg's nine this season) ignored team management who repeatedly urged him to go faster at the end of the race, so that Rosberg's second-place position wasn't threatened by Sebastian Vettel (No. 5 Scuderia Ferrari) or Max Verstappen (No. 3 Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer). At one point, as reported by the BBC, Vettel got uncomfortably close to Rosberg in the closing laps, so Mercedes executive director (technical) Paddy Lowe, who only speaks to the drivers on the radio in extreme circumstances, told Hamilton: "Lewis, this is Paddy. We need you to pick up the pace to win this race." Hamilton replied: "I'm in the lead right now. I'm quite comfortable where I am."
(BBC Sport)
Lewis Hamilton had this to say after the race (concerning team management hand-wringing): "I don't know why they didn't just let us race. There was never a moment I felt I was going to lose the race but it is quite clear their thought process." It was his 53rd Grand Prix win. The Mercedes-Benz racing team hierarchy is reportedly contemplating disciplinary action against Hamilton for not following their orders.
(BBC Sport)
Rosberg is the second son of an F1 champion to win the title himself. Damon Hill was the first, after his father Graham. Here's father Keke Rosberg after winning his championship back in 1982, with Diana Ross on the podium for some reason.
(BBC Sport)
Rosberg and Vettel celebrate on the podium.
(BBC Sport)
Nico's best day.
(BBC Sport)
Nico and his wife Vivian celebrate.
(Autosport International)
Fifty years of Formula Ford racing will be celebrated at the prestigious Autosport International motorsport show, which will be held in Birmingham, England, at the NEC, January 12-15. The Historic Sportscar Club (HSCC) will kick off the 50th anniversary celebrations of Formula Ford at Autosport International with a major display of iconic single-seaters, including Ayrton Senna’s Van Diemen RF81 (above) that he raced during his debut European season in 1981, plus the car that started it all, the Lotus 51. The nine-car display will showcase landmark Formula Ford designs as well as those cars with prominent histories including Nigel Mansell’s Crosslé 25F, which he piloted during his debut season in 1976; Michael Schumacher's Van Diemen RF88, which he finished as runner-up in Formula Ford in 1988; a 1969 Lotus 61; Colchester Racing Developments’ "Magic Merlyn" Mk11A - chassis 238 - which was driven by Emerson Fittipaldi during the 1969 season and is now owned by Jodi Scheckter; the Rory Byrne-designed Royale RP24 and the Royale RP26, which was originally designed by Williams F1 Racing’s Chief Technical Officer, Pat Symonds; and finally, representing the latest thinking in Formula Ford, the Medina Sport JL16 (below), which debuted at the Walter Hayes Trophy this year.
(Autosport International)
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NOVEMBER 30, 2016
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