Nico Rosberg: A worthy champion

Nico Rosberg’s days as bitter bridesmaid to Lewis Hamilton are over. The German emerged from the shadow of his more illustrious team-mate to take centre-stage as Formula One’s new world champion at the season-ending Abu Dhabi GP on Sunday.

Son of 1982 title-winner Keke, the 31-year-old has had to cope with being in the shadow of his famous father all career. But the younger Rosberg has arguably felt the weight of being in Hamilton’s shadow harder to bear.

Until now, he had never beaten Hamilton over the course of a season. His had been a career of finishing second best to the Briton, right from the time when they battled for championships as team-mates in karting, to fighting for the Formula One title over the last two years. Not anymore.

“It feels like I’ve been racing him forever and always he’s just managed to edge me out and get the title even when we were small in go-karts,” an emotional Rosberg said after the race. “He’s just an amazing driver and of course one of the best in history … and I took the World Championship away from him which is a phenomenal feeling.”

Hamilton fans will no doubt argue that the reliability gremlins that hobbled their favourite’s bid for a fourth title. The Briton ends the season with ten wins to Rosberg’s nine and has fought back brilliantly from the multiple setbacks his campaign has suffered from this year, including overturning a 43-point deficit earlier in the year. But Rosberg has also strung together a championship-worthy season. Only the third German world champion since Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel, Rosberg has raced to nine wins this season, only three of which he scored after Hamilton ran into car trouble.

His father, by comparison, won just one on his way to the title. Worthy champions have been crowned far less convincingly. “For sure, yes, it’s been my best season,” said Rosberg. “I’ve done my best ever races this year definitely.”

Rosberg has raised his game this year to bounce back from a lacklustre 2015. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, he cited that title-deciding U.S. Grand Prix last October as the turning point. “Austin was a horrible experience for me and I really spent two days just on my own thinking,” reflected Rosberg, who after that race went on to win the final three rounds of that season and the opening four this year. “And I said I didn’t ever want to experience that again and then I went and won the next seven races on the trot. So for sure it was a big moment for me and one of the key moments for being here today.”