Rosberg wins in Brazil, seals second spot in championship

SAO PAULO: Nico Rosberg sealed his place as runner-up in this year’s Formula One world championship on Sunday when he won the Brazilian Grand Prix ahead of his Mercedes team-mate and newly-crowned three-time champion Lewis Hamilton.
It was the 30-year-old German’s second consecutive triumph following his Mexico win after his unforced error at the United States Grand Prix gifted Hamilton victory and his third title in Texas last month.
Starting from his fifth consecutive pole position, Rosberg made a flawless start and controlled the race from the front, relinquishing the lead only when he pitted three times, while Hamilton chased and challenged in vain.
The 30-year-old Englishman, who arrived in Brazil 24 hours later than scheduled after what he described as “a difficult week” of illness and a road accident, finished second ahead of third-placed four-time champion Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari.
Rosberg repeated his Brazilian win of 2014 with a near-textbook drive that gave Hamilton little chance to make his superior race speed count before he settled for second and came home 7.7 seconds behind his team-mate.
Kimi Raikkonen came home fourth in the second Ferrari ahead of Valtteri Bottas of Williams, Nico Hulkenberg of Force India, Danil Kvyat of Red Bull and local hero Felipe Massa in the second Williams.
Frenchman Romain Grosjean finished ninth for Lotus ahead of Dutch teenager Max Verstappen, who maintained his stunning maiden season form by finishing 10th for Toro Rosso.
Rosberg made a flawless start from his fifth straight pole and, when Hamilton attempted to sling-shot out of his slipstream into the first corner and through the Senna ‘S’ curves, gave him no encouragement and little room to manoeuvre.
Hamilton had no choice, but to slip into second place and follow the leader as the race began without major incident.
Carlos Sainz, having suffered a car failure with his Toro Rosso, on the formation lap, which forced him to start from the pit lane, failed to complete a lap and retired.
Rosberg held his lead with some aplomb through the opening laps until he pitted on lap 14, gifting Hamilton his ‘hammer time’ at the front of the field.
The Briton followed him in and despite an excellent stop was unable to re-join ahead of the German.
The two Ferraris followed the Mercedes pair in grid order with Bottas fifth and Maldonado sixth.