Track Torque: Rosberg rules under the Rising Sun
Rod Kinsey reviews the Japanese Grand Prix.
NICO Rosberg drove an immaculate race from start to finish and really deserved his win and the championship lead which is looking very good for him.
Teammate and main rival Lewis Hamilton finished a disappointing third after a race-long battle to make up what he lost at the start.
He seemed to lose revs when the lights went out and was passed by all and sundry before the first corner.
Max Verstappen drove another whizz race and had to work very hard at the end to keep Hamilton behind him for his very well driven second position.
What a mature drive for a 19-year-old. Max really is the future happening before our eyes.
Old man (in comparison) and last week’s winner, Daniel Ricciardo at 27, just could not cope this weekend with his feisty young teammate.
Neither could the Prancing Horse pair of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen.
The Ferraris finished fourth and fifth behind Hamilton with Ricciardo sixth in the second Red Bull, charging hard.
Sergio Perez and teammate Nico Hulkenberg almost dead-heated in seventh and eighth and the Williams pair did the same only a second apart, with Felipe Massa ninth and Valtteri Bottas, tenth.
The constructors’ championship has now been won by Mercedes.
Rosberg leads Hamilton by 33 points in the championship which means that he only needs three second places and a third to clinch his first world title, even if Hamilton wins the remaining four races.
All his looking good for Nico.
The next races are Austin, Texas, USA on October 23, then Mexico City one week later, and then Sao Paulo, Brazil, another two weeks’ later.
The final race of the championship year will be at Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi on November 27 with Christmas around the corner.
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