Rosberg cool under pressure, collects his first F1 title

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES • With Lewis Hamilton purposefully slowing him down, two other drivers hard on his tail and the title on the line, German driver Nico Rosberg held his nerve to win the Formula One championship for the first time on Sunday.

Rosberg finished second at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix behind defending champion Lewis Hamilton, who won the race from pole position for his 53rd GP win. But Rosberg was 12 points ahead of his Mercedes teammate coming into the title showdown and only needed to finish no lower than third if Hamilton won.

In the end, it felt like the most difficult second place of his career.

“It was so intense, the race, so tough,” said Rosberg, who finished runner-up to Hamilton in the past two years.

Rosberg repeatedly wiped his face and lowered his head several times in the post-race news conference, appearing emotionally exhausted as he tilted back into his chair and rubbed his eyes.

Still, he expects to find plenty of energy to celebrate his win.

“Tonight’s going to be absolutely nuts,” he said. “I don’t think I’m going to be available for a few days.”

The 31-year-old Rosberg finally emulated his father Keke Rosberg, who won the F1 title in 1982.

Hamilton blatantly disobeyed Nico Rosberg team orders to speed up near the end, thus backing Rosberg toward Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstap- pen in third and fourth places, respectively.

“If I had dropped behind those guys it was over,” Rosberg said.

Vettel could not quite pass Rosberg, finishing third ahead of Verstappen and fourth overall in the championship behind Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo.

Hamilton, meanwhile, misses out on a third straight title and fourth overall, despite ending the year with 10 wins — one more than Rosberg.

“Nico drove well not to make a mistake,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton slowed in the later stages of the race to increase the chances of Rosberg being overtaken by other drivers. If Rosberg had been passed by Vettel and Verstappen and had finished fourth, Hamilton would have held onto his title.