09/11/2014
NEWS STORY
Nico Rosberg took victory at the Brazilian Grand Prix after a race-long battle with team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who completed a record-breaking one-two finish for the Silver Arrows at Interlagos.
Nico took his fifth victory of the season, Lewis his 15th podium finish from eighteen races. A 15th win of 2014 for the Silver Arrows equals the highest number of victories scored in a single season set by McLaren in 1988. The 11th one-two finish of 2014 for the team is a new all-time record, surpassing the previous best set in that same year. The team now has 651 Constructors' Championship points - the most ever scored in a single season - surpassing the total set by Red Bull in 2011 with one race remaining. Lewis and Nico head into the final round of the season in Abu Dhabi with just 17 points separating them in the Drivers' Championship. Both drivers started on the soft compound Pirelli tyre, stopping three times for mediums throughout the race.
Nico Rosberg: That was a fantastic weekend and I felt very comfortable over the whole three days. I had to learn from Austin, which was a big disappointment, and I think I achieved that. I was able to control the pace a bit better and didn't let Lewis come too close. He drove really well and was always right there pushing me. When he spun I had a bit of time to relax and was able to save some life in the tyres for the end of the stint. That worked out perfectly and it was a great day with another one-two for the team. I was also happy for Felipe to be on the podium with us at his home race. The Brazilian people have been so great to us throughout this the whole weekend so it was also a good day for them. Now we have a great finale to look forward to in Abu Dhabi. I'm still believing 100 per cent that I can make it but, of course, I will need some help from Felipe or Valtteri or Lewis himself.
Lewis Hamilton: Naturally, you'll always be disappointed when you make a mistake and I did that today. But honestly, I felt great out there. The car was strong, my pace was good, I didn't give up, kept pushing and made up the time so that's what's most important to me. Generally, when I'm told to push it means the team is bringing me in that lap so that's what I did. In the end, they left me out for another lap which caught me by surprise. By the time I came round to do the second lap my rear tyres were gone from where I'd been pushing so hard. Even so, it was my mistake locking up the rears and ultimately that cost me the win. Nico drove a great race - defending well and not making any mistakes. But it's clear I had the pace. It's not a big deal, though. That's motor racing. Obviously, I lost some points which is disappointing. But it's a great team result with a record-breaking one-two finish and I really enjoyed the race. The car is just fantastic - the best I've ever driven - so a big thank you to the team for all their hard work. I'll be pushing just as hard in Abu Dhabi and hopefully we'll get to have another great race like we saw today.
Toto Wolff: I'm so proud of the team and what we have achieved today. What you see at the track on a race weekend is just the tip of the iceberg and there are so many hard working, intelligent, good people who contributed to the success of the car and of this season. If I could, I would want to mention the names of everybody. Although you see a couple of public faces, the results are only possible because the team is strong and sticks together. Numbers like 11 one-two finishes, 15 wins and 30 podiums in a season make me incredibly proud of my colleagues and humble at what we have achieved together. Today's race was a pure battle between Nico and Lewis, with no quarter asked or given. The deciding moment probably came when Lewis spun on lap 28. That gave Nico some breathing room and, although Lewis seemed to have the better speed today, Nico was able to absorb the pressure from then all the way to the flag. It was a fantastic performance from both of them and sets up the prospect of a thrilling finale in Abu Dhabi. No matter which way that race goes, either driver would be a very worthy World Champion at the end of a fantastic season.
Paddy Lowe: We have been saying all week that Brazilian Grands Prix are usually full of drama and this one was no exception. Although the weather didn't play a disruptive role, we saw a brilliant all-out battle between our two drivers that exemplified the incredible level of competition we have seen between them all season. Prior to the race, it was clear that tyre endurance would play a key role, after the teams had unanimously decided to bring a softer selection to this event than Pirelli had initially recommended. When conditions proved so hot and track temperatures so high, we thought that making a three-stop strategy would actually be quite tight, so we were pleased to find the tyres actually behaved better than our predictions had suggested. It is an incredible achievement to score our 11th one-two finish of the season and to write a line in the history books of the sport. 1988 was my first season in Formula One and that year saw records set that I thought would never be broken. It is hard now to get my head round the fact that we have set a new benchmark. That is a real tribute to the achievements of the team. Congratulations to everybody in Stuttgart, Brixworth and Brackley on reaching this milestone.
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