Sunday: First Mercedes one-two since Austria, Hamilton breaks Rosberg
After a difficult start that was out of his control, Lewis Hamilton delivers an exemplary race by regularly pushing Rosberg to make mistakes. Even if he has to admit defeat, the latter still holds the lead in the Championship.
Nico Rosberg (No. 6) – 2nd
The German admitted his defeat against his teammate: « Lewis was faster this weekend so he deserved to win. Of course, it’s very disappointing for me. I had a lock-up at the first corner and decided to go straight to avoid flat-spotting my tire. That’s what cost me first place. But he was very fast behind me so I had to push all the time. But I have to see the positive side of today. Second place is still good and I only lost seven points to Lewis so it could have been much worse. »
He then congratulated the Mercedes double, the first since Austria. Despite some boos that he ignored, Nico Rosberg took the luxury of addressing the tifosi in the language of Dante, enough to somewhat restore his reputation after Belgium.
Lewis Hamilton (No. 44) – Winner
The Englishman was keen to emphasize Mercedes’ result: « We said we wanted the one-two today and we got it; this result is important for everyone. »
But the victory was far from being promised to him: « The launch sequence did not go well during the formation lap and again at the start. I tried to get off as fast as possible, basically, I just floored it and crossed my fingers! Fortunately, I didn’t lose too many positions, and I managed to overtake Kevin, which led to a great battle with Felipe. When I got closer to Nico, I didn’t want to stay behind because the car was good, and I knew from experience that my best chance would be at the start of the stint when the tires are fresh, and that’s what I did. I am very happy with this victory, I feel like I have a good momentum going into the last races. »
