Nico Rosberg Clinches First-Ever F1 Title With Abu Dhabi GP Win

Nico Rosberg held his nerve to win the Formula One Championship for the first time after finishing second at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday.

Nico Rosberg Clinches First-Ever F1 Title With Abu Dhabi GP Win

Defending British champion Lewis Hamilton won the race from pole position for his 53rd GP victory. He is only second to Michael Schumacher, who has an impressive 91 GP wins.

The German Rosberg was 12 points ahead of his teammate heading into the title showdown and only needed to finish at least third to win the title, even though Hamilton won the race.

Hamilton had suggested before the race that his odds of overturning Rosberg’s 12-point lead heading into Abu Dhabi were “pretty impossible” and so it proved, but the three-time world champion tried until the very end.

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

Having finished runner-up for the past two seasons, Rosberg, 31, finally emulates his father Keke Rosberg, who won the F1 title in 1982.

“That was definitely not the most enjoyable race I’ve had. Can’t believe it’s over. I’m ecstatic,” Rosberg said.

Hamilton, nevertheless, ends the year with 10 wins, one more than Rosberg.

Rosberg won the first four races of the season to open up a 43-point lead over Hamilton, only for the Brit to fight back– by the summer break, Hamilton had turned the deficit into a 19-point advantage.

Hamilton made a point of coming over to congratulate Rosberg and offered him a hug. Rosberg accepted, but then quickly resumed celebrating as he was thrown in the air by his Mercedes crew.

He then grabbed Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone and lifted him into the air, while Ecclestone congratulated him.

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Results

1. Lewis Hamilton, Britain, Mercedes, 55 laps, 1:38:04.013, 25 points.

2. Nico Rosberg, Germany, Mercedes, 55, +0.439 seconds, 18.

3. Sebastian Vettel, Germany, Ferrari, 55, +0.843, 15.

4. Max Verstappen, Netherlands, Red Bull Racing Tag Heuer, 55, +1.685, 12.

5. Daniel Ricciardo, Australia, Red Bull Racing Tag Heuer, 55, +5.315, 10.

6. Kimi Raikkonen, Finland, Ferrari, 55, +18.816, 8.

7. Nico Hulkenberg, Germany, Force India Mercedes, 55, +50.114, 6.

8. Sergio Perez, Mexico, Force India Mercedes, 55, +58.776, 4.

9. Felipe Massa, Brazil, Williams Mercedes, 55, +59.436, 2.

10. Fernando Alonso, Spain, McLaren Honda, 55, +59.896, 1.

11. Romain Grosjean, France, Haas Ferrari, 55, +76.777, 0.

12. Esteban Gutierrez, Mexico, Haas Ferrari, 55, +95.113, 0.

13. Esteban Ocon, France, MRT Mercedes, 54, +1 lap, 0.

14. Pascal Wehrlein, Germany, MRT Mercedes, 54, +1 lap, 0.

15. Marcus Ericsson, Sweden, Sauber Ferrari, 54, +1 lap, 0.

16. Felipe Nasr, Brazil, Sauber Ferrari, 54, +1 lap, 0.

17. Jolyon Palmer, Britain, Renault, 54, +1 lap, 0.

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – NOVEMBER 27: Nico Rosberg of Germany driving the (6) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes F1 WO7 Mercedes PU106C Hybrid turbo on track during the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit on November 27, 2016 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)