MEXICO CITY — Nico Rosberg put his Texas blues behind him Sunday to win the first Mexican Grand Prix in 23 years and show triple world champion Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton how it feels to finish second.
The German’s fourth victory of the year, and 12th of his career, ended Hamilton’s three-race winning streak a week after the Briton secured his third title.
On a sunny afternoon, with the 135,000-strong crowd creating a party atmosphere, the Briton was left feeling sore after questioning a team instruction to pit for fresh tires after Rosberg had already done so.
The German, whose late mistake in Austin handed Hamilton the victory that clinched the title, led cleanly away from pole position and finished 1.9 seconds ahead after also setting the fastest lap.
It was Mercedes’ 10th one-two in 17 races.
“This is really the best podium of the year, what a place to win” said Rosberg, addressing a cheering mass.
“Amazing day, great race,” added the German. With both championships already decided, Mercedes having retained its constructors’ crown in Russia last month, the race win was all that mattered for the dominant duo at the Hermanos Rodriguez circuit.
Rosberg’s win lifted him to second in the championship, 21 points clear of Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel who failed to score after a crash that brought out the safety car on the 52nd of the 71 laps. The German was unhurt.
Finland’s Valtteri Bottas finished third for Williams.
Neither Ferrari finished the race, ending a run of 20 in the points, with Vettel’s teammate Kimi Raikkonen breaking his suspension after colliding with Bottas for the second time in three races.
Bottas, who had been trying to pass on the inside when they tangled wheels, raced on to take a revenge podium.
Vettel had a nightmare afternoon, picking up a puncture on the first lap after banging wheels with Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo and then spinning.
Russian Daniil Kvyat was fourth for Red Bull, ahead of Australian Ricciardo with Brazilian Felipe Massa sixth for Williams.
The Force India pair of Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez, the local hero and crowd favorite, finished seventh and eighth.
Perez, whose every appearance in the baseball stadium area had the crowd leaping in excitement, became the first Mexican to score a point in a home race since Pedro Rodriguez in 1970 and only the second ever
Toro Rosso’s Dutch teenager Max Verstappen was ninth and Romain Grosjean 10th for Lotus.
McLaren’s Fernando Alonso lasted just one lap before having to retire with a loss of power. — Reuters
