Nico still hungry for more wins

NICO Rosberg has set down some markers for next season with two successive Grand Prix wins and five successive pole positions in the battle with Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

With the pressure off, Rosberg put in a flawless performance in winning the Brazilian Grand Prix Sunday ahead of world champion Hamilton.

The 30-year-old Briton could not get into a position to overtake and was left still chasing his first win on the home soil of his idol Ayrton Senna.

Back-to-back wins in Brazil meant Rosberg has clinched runner-up spot in the Formula One championship behind Hamilton for a second successive year.

The last race of the season in Abu Dhabi on November 29 is now meaningless in championship terms, but Rosberg will be wanting to send another message for 2016 while Mercedes could establish a new record if the team makes it 12 one-two finish.

Mercedes sports chief Toto Wolff acknowledged that some of the tension has gone after Hamilton clinched his third world title at the US Grand Prix on October 25.

“Yes, you could say that Lewis has reached his target and his adrenalin is not as high as it was – and Nico is driving without pressure – and this is the result,” he said.

But Wolff said Rosberg was showing his class, “and we always knew that Nico’s class is important to make Lewis perform like he did – and to make the car faster and the team progress. Mexico (two weeks ago) and Brazil were showcases for Nico’s class.”

Hamilton said some modifications to the car since the Singapore Grand Prix on September 20 seem to have changed the fortunes of the drivers.

“Nico has been doing a fantastic job in qualifying. I have to think how things have changed ... Something has shifted in the car, I guess I have been a little bit less comfortable with it,” he said.

Further back, 18-year-old Max Verstappen in a Toro Rosso was able to extend his point-scoring series to six races, moving up to ninth after eighth-placed Felipe Massa in a Williams was removed from the standings.

Stewards found that Massa’s right-rear tyre did not comply with the maximum permitted temperature before the race. Williams said they would appeal.

- DPA