F1’s surprise dignity in defeat

So Lewis Hamilton is F1 World Champion 2014.

Congratulations to him, but even more so to his rival, Nico Rosberg.

That’s F1 all done and dusted until next year, then. You can’t fail to have noticed Britain’s Lewis Hamilton all over the papers, TV and internet following his 2nd World Championship title success in Abu Dhabi last Sunday.

He’s certainly had to wait for title number two – his first came in 2008,when he was a fresh-faced McLaren youngster, and looked a lot less like the cool-dude, diamond-ear stud wearing favourite of the press, with the Pussycat Doll girlfriend and chronic mood swings, that he has become since he joined the dominant Mercedes team.

He deserved it, too. His team-mate, Nico Rosberg, had an identical mind-blowingly expensive motor, but managed less than half the number of race victories of the man across the expanse of immaculately polished garage floor.

As early as round 3 the friends from karting days were working hard on destroying their relationship, battling hard in Bahrain, neither willing to give up the racing line.

Rosberg’s trip up the escape road in Monaco stopped Hamilton bagging pole, and did a pretty good job of winding up both his rival and the press – was it deliberate?

Whilst it was sometimes difficult to accept Hamilton’s monosyllabic responses, pouty face and sulky inability to say his rival’s name, the Hamil-fans lapped it up, comfortable that this just showed their man resolutely focused on his craft, and wearing his heart on his sleeve.

A pantomime villain was all that was needed to further excuse Lewis’s grumpy demeanour, and Nico obliged in Belgium, puncturing Hamilton’s tyre in a foolish attempt to prove he wouldn’t back down in a scrap. Cue booing from the crowd as he stood on the podium, and for several races afterwards.

Back in front in Singapore, Hamilton then maintained his points lead until the final round. Rosberg lost the advantage of his pole position at the start, but stayed close to his rival until gremlins struck his Merc’s electricals, and he began to steadily drop back.

Even after falling to 6th, meaning he couldn’t win the title even if Lewis dropped out, he desperately kept going. Finally out of the points, the team got on the radio to him to say he should stop. Surprisingly, he replied to say he wanted to finish the race, despite knowing the title was gone.

Despite all the acrimony, accusations and aggro, Rosberg tracked down Hamilton before he went onto the podium, warmly congratulating him in a genuinely remarkable sporting gesture, especially considering the seemingly insurmountable level of animosity that had built between them.

Graciously smiling during the team photos celebrating Lewis’s 2nd title, Rosberg managed one accolade that, even without the glitz, glamour and huge financial rewards of the one Lewis got, he should be very proud of - That of a genuine sportsman.

A rare thing indeed.

This post first appeared as my "Thank grumpy it's Friday" column, in the North West Evening Mail, on the 28th of November 2014. You can view the version published by the paper on their website here, where it was retitled "Rosberg was a true sportsman".

30ish words were edited out, including some that meant a little bit of information or context was lost - maybe the editor isn't an F1 fan... or just needed to save the space and get on to the next thing on the To Do list.

I wonder if that was it for Rosberg - his one chance at the title? The 2015 season will be interesting. We just need to hang on for another four months...

(Proper old-school tonight. I'm listening to a cassette of Queen's "Made In Heaven" album from 1995, which is exhibiting some serious wow and flutter. Its how music used to be, people! It means it must also pre-date me owning my Renault Clio - the first car I owned with a CD player in, and the demise of my home-taping.)