Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg celebrates second place and winning the Formula One world championship on the podium with Lewis Hamilton
NICO ROSBERG won his first Formula 1 world title despite Lewis Hamilton disobeying Mercedes orders not to back his team-mate into rivals.
Hamilton won the Abu Dhabi GP driving slowly in an attempt to bring other drivers into the battle, knowing he needed Rosberg to finish below third.
Hamilton was repeatedly told to speed up but told the team: “Let us race.”
Rosberg came under pressure from Sebastian Vettel but managed to hold the Ferrari driver to finish second.
“It’s a childhood dream come true,” Rosberg said over the radio. “Thank you for everything.”
After the drama of the race, Hamilton congratulated Rosberg on his world championship and the two men embraced and shook hands on the podium.
Rosberg said he had not decided whether to take the number one on his car as is his right next year or whether to stick with the number six, which he chose as his race number because his father Keke won the 1982 world title with it.
The Rosbergs are only the second family in which a father and son have won the F1 world title, after Graham and Damon Hill.
— BBC Sport