Hamilton wins dramatic Russian Grand Prix

SOCHI, Russia - Lewis Hamilton won a dramatic Russian Formula One Grand Prix on Sunday to take a huge step towards his third world championship after Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg retired early on with throttle failure.

The win was Hamilton's ninth of the season, and the 42nd of his career, and the Briton's untroubled afternoon was a stark contrast to his German team mate's woes.

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel finished runner-up at the Olympic Park circuit to overtake Rosberg as Hamilton's closest rival, 66 points adrift of the Briton with four races and a maximum 100 points remaining.

If results go Hamilton's way, he can secure his second successive title in Austin, Texas, in two weeks' time.

Hamilton, who also won the inaugural Russian Grand Prix last year and has now surpassed the tally of victories racked up by the late triple champion Ayrton Senna, now has 302 points to Vettel's 236 and Rosberg on 229.

"It looked like we were going to have a race and I was thinking this is great and we were going to put on a good show," said Hamilton, after collecting the winners' trophy from Russian president Vladimir Putin.

"Nico made a mistake at turn one and went wide. I overtook him and after that, or maybe even before, he started to have some problems. It is very unfortunate for the team."

"Those last five laps I was just taking it in. I don't know how many times I'll be in this position again," added the champion.

Mexican Sergio Perez finished third for Force India, in a race with two safety car interludes following crashes, after Finnish drivers Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen collided while battling for the final podium place.

Raikkonen finished fifth for Ferrari, a result that kept Mercedes waiting for their second successive constructors' championship.

However, the Finn faced a stewards enquiry into the collision, with the possibility of a penalty for ramming the rear of Bottas's Williams.

Opening lap

The safety car was deployed after Perez's team mate Nico Hulkenberg spun on the opening lap and was hit by the Sauber of Marcus Ericsson with Max Verstappen's Toro Rosso also caught up in the action.

Rosberg had led from pole, holding off Hamilton through the opening corners, but was forced to retire in the pits on the seventh of 53 laps.

"F1 is pretty incredible sometimes how tough it is," the German told the BBC.

"After a great start, leading the race and feeling confident. Straight after the safety car the pedal broke. It was quite dangerous. Definitely not a nice way to end the day."

Hamilton had already taken over the lead as Rosberg wrestled with the problem but his advantage was whittled away when Frenchman Romain Grosjean crashed heavily on lap 12 and brought out the safety car again.

Perez had thought his podium hopes had gone when Bottas and Raikkonen, on fresher tires, passed him in the closing laps but the collision put him right back for his first top three finish of the season.

"One lap before the end it seemed like everything went away from us. I was very unhappy with myself but in the end I thought ''I gave it all"," said the Mexican.

"I did plenty of laps with my tires and had massive degradation. On the last lap when it came it was just amazing."

Brazilian Felipe Massa finished fourth for Williams while Russian Daniil Kvyat was sixth for Red Bull, ahead of Sauber's Brazilian Felipe Nasr and Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado in a Lotus.

In a boost for struggling McLaren, Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso finished ninth and 10th respectively.

Spanish rookie Carlos Sainz, who was in hospital only a day earlier after crashing his Toro Rosso in practice, had been heading for his best result after running as high as sixth but retired eight laps from the end. — Reuters

Rosberg promises 'maximum attack' in 2015

Nico Rosberg vowed 'maximum attack' in a new title battle with Formula One world champion team mate Lewis Hamilton on Sunday as Mercedes unveiled their 2015 car before pre-season testing started in Jerez.

"I know the feeling of winning and of fighting for a championship after last year, but I also know the feeling of not winning in the end and I don't want to repeat that," said the German.

"It's an extra boost and it gives me so much motivation for the year ahead."

Rosberg, son of Finland's 1982 champion Keke, won five races last year to Hamilton's 11 and finished runner-up in a dominant season for his team and one that saw the drivers' relationship tested to the limit.

Mercedes are again expected to set the pace, even if the cars have not changed dramatically since last year's debut of the new V6 turbo hybrid power units and rivals hope to have closed the gap.

"It will be massively tough to repeat what we achieved in 2014 but we all want to keep that momentum going and to dominate the sport for many years to come," said Rosberg.

"We know the opposition will be right there, so we have to keep pushing flat out to have any chance of doing that. Nothing is for certain but, whatever happens, I know it will be another great battle with Lewis.

"This year is the rematch for me and I'm massively motivated for it."

Hamilton, now a double world champion after taking his first title with McLaren in 2008, agreed that there could be no complacency.

The Briton said he was also fired up for the season which starts in Australia on March 15.

"You hear about people who achieve a lot but then lose their focus and you wonder; at what point does it fade off? I'm grateful that the fire is still there in me," he said.

"I think subconsciously the taste of success spurs me on. I like that feeling and I want to feel it again and again," added the 30-year-old.

"I'm glad me and Nico had the battle we did last year. I love winning races but it just feels so much better when you have to fight for it. I just want to get back out there, race hard, be the best I can be and hopefully win some more." - Reuters

Rosberg reluctant to fuel the flames

MONTREAL - Nico Rosberg steered clear of fighting talk on Thursday (Friday, PHL time) but recognized relations with Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton had become trickier since the Formula One championship turned into a duel between the two.

The red hot rivalry between the title contenders has been the talk of Formula One for weeks and both drivers did their best to avoid stirring things up ahead of Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix.

"Of course it is more difficult," Rosberg told reporters as he faced the same wall of cameras and tape recorders that had greeted Hamilton earlier in the day at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. "We are fighting every single race weekend.

"There is more at stake, there is the opportunity of winning the championship this year and that is the ultimate goal in racing so there is a lot at stake," added the championship leader.

With six wins from six races so far, Mercedes are in a dominant position. Hamilton had taken four successive victories before Rosberg won and seized back the overall lead in Monaco two weeks ago.

That last race saw the rivalry turned up a notch with Hamilton suggesting the German had deliberately run wide in the final seconds of qualifying, bringing out yellow warning flags and forcing the 2008 world champion to slow when he might have taken pole.

The battles on the track and war of words off it have rekindled memories of the fierce rivalry between McLaren team mates Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost that captivated Formula One during the 1988-89 campaigns.

"In a way I am honored to hear those comparisons because that was an extremely high level, a big battle at the time," said Rosberg. "But I leave it at that. I don't compare myself to that era I just want to do my own thing and go my own way."

Before arriving in Canada, Hamilton and Rosberg met to discuss the situation.

Rosberg refused to reveal details of what was said, only that he and his British teammate - who have been challenging each other on the track since their go-karting days - had settled their differences.

"I didn't see it as too unusual. We have always had periods where it was more difficult and we have that base respect that goes back 15 years and that's the important thing," said Rosberg. "As a result we always discuss things and move on.

"That's how it's been this time too."

The 28-year-old made clear he saw the bigger picture, and what was good for his team and Formula One.

"I want to win races," offered Rosberg. "Everything I do is focused on that.

"You are all trying to build it into a war which I can understand because it makes it all the more exciting but I want to try and avoid putting extra fuel on it.

"I was in the factory this week talking to everybody and for them the Constructors' [championship] is so important so if we take each other out [on track], for all our team members that would be a disaster.

"In the end we are a team and I do think about everybody else too."  - Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com