Barcelona: Nico Rosberg was left sighing with relief on Sunday after he finally ended his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton’s winning streak in this year’s Formula One drivers’ world championship by claiming victory in the Spanish Grand Prix. The 29-year-old German, who had been beaten by Hamilton in all four of this year’s ‘flyaway’ season-opening races, led from the 16th pole position of his career all the way to the chequered flag, his supremacy interrupted only by his pit-stops.
It was his first win since last November’s Brazilian Grand Prix and the ninth of his career, and trimmed defending champion Hamilton’s lead from 27 points to 20. “It was a perfect weekend. Perfect to be on pole and then to win the race like this. The car has been awesome all weekend. Really perfect. And, finally, I got a perfect start. It’s been a long time coming,” said the German driver. Hamilton, who slipped from second to third at the start, fought back with daring and great skill, coupled to a three-stop strategy, to finish behind Rosberg and deliver another one-two for the dominant Mercedes team.
Four-time champion Sebastian Vettel of Germany, who outpaced Hamilton off the grid, came home third for Ferrari ahead of Finns Valtteri Botta of Williams and Kimi Raikkonen, in the second Ferrari.
Brazilian Felipe Massa finished sixth in the second Williams ahead of Australian Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull and Frenchman Romain Grosjean of Lotus.
Local hero Carlos Sainz won a late wheel-to-wheel battle with his Toro Rosso team-mate, Dutch teenager Jos Verstappen, to take 10th and then ‘stole’ ninth from Russian Daniil Kvyat in the second Red Bull. Kvyat finished 10th.
