Sunday: Rosberg offers victory to Mercedes
Who would have thought? After the qualifying session, many observers believed that tire wear would once again pose a problem for Mercedes, leading to another disappointment in the race. And yet, Nico Rosberg did not relinquish the lead and won his first Grand Prix. Michael Schumacher could undoubtedly have joined in the celebration and made it to the podium if not for a stubborn wheel.
Nico Rosberg – 1st
« This is a very special moment for me. The whole weekend went superbly well. My first pole position and now my first win in F1, it’s really fantastic. But it’s also the first victory for the new Silver Arrows and for this great team. I would like to thank everyone in the team, here in China and at the Brackley factory as well as in Brixworth. I am very proud that we managed to improve the car so quickly. I will never forget this race and the last 20 laps seemed as long as if I were racing the 24 Hours of Le Mans. But then, crossing the finish line was really intense. We are going to enjoy this success but we will also keep our feet on the ground. We are not yet at the level we want, we continue to work to better understand the car and the tires in all conditions and we will continue to do our utmost to improve our race pace. We will see how it goes in Bahrain. »
Michael Schumacher – Abandonment
« First of all, congratulations to the whole team, to Mercedes-Benz, and obviously to Nico for having won a very nice victory. He did a good job, and I am very happy for him. As for my race, my front right tire came off after my first stop. As I didn’t want to damage the car, I stopped on the grass. I felt that something was wrong immediately, especially in turn 3 when I put pressure on the right side of the car. Before that, I would say I was having a good race, keeping the others behind me. Obviously, it’s a disappointing end to what could have been a good race, and I’m sorry for the guys who work hard to give us the best. But we all know that it’s part of the game. »
