Nico Rosberg's maiden grand prix victory, in his 111th race, was almost as popular in Shanghai as it undoubtedly was back in Stuttgart, where Mercedes-Benz has its opulent headquarters.
You might have thought Formula One would be sick to death of German drivers sticking celebratory index fingers in the air. Not this German.
Nico Rosberg's maiden grand prix victory, in his 111th race, was almost as popular in Shanghai as it undoubtedly was back in Stuttgart, where Mercedes-Benz has its opulent headquarters, and Brackley, where the race team has its base. The man dubbed 'Britney' - as in Spears - for his well-coiffed mane of golden hair and effete manner, has not always been the most popular driver on the grid. When he first arrived on the scene after winning GP2 in 2005, some within the paddock thought him a little pleased with himself.
The son of 1982 world champion Keke, Rosberg had a privileged upbringing, went to an exclusive international school in Monaco and speaks five languages.
Amazing what a few years chasing that first win can do for you. Like Jenson Button, who won his first race at the 113th attempt, Rosberg's long wait has not only taught him a bit of humility, it guaranteed that when he finally got the job done it was well received by all. "It's an unbelievable feeling," the 26 year-old admitted after storming to victory by more than 20 seconds from the McLaren pair of Button and Lewis Hamilton. "It has been a long time coming."
Rosberg's win raises the possibility of Mercedes becoming serious championship contenders this season. With their DRS-activated 'W-duct' officially legal, their qualifying pace is guaranteed. Until now it has been their race pace, their inability to get the tyres working, which has been the problem. Not here. The question is whether they can make them work in hotter climates such as Bahrain this weekend.
This was a huge win for Mercedes, their first as a works team since the 1955 Italian Grand Prix, and it clearly meant a lot. Having announced the return of the Silver Arrows with great fanfare in 2010, and secured the prodigal return of Michael Schumacher, it has been a lean two years.
Daimler, whose board had been split about returning to F1, will be a whole lot happier this morning.
It might have had a one-two had Schumacher not suffered a retirement from second place when a mechanic failed to tighten the nut on his front right wheel.
Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn, of whom many difficult questions have been asked as he racked up the bills recruiting big names at Brackley, was fielding congratulatory phone calls from his dad before he had left the pitwall.
He made sure to call his wife, Jean, before speaking to reporters. "She lives it," he said. "This is a truly special and historic day. I am so delighted for Nico, he has deserved to take his first victory several times, and has now done so by driving a perfectly judged race from pole. I am excited to see how he develops now he has that win under his belt.
"We are proud to deliver the first victory for a works Silver Arrow car in 57 years. I was just one year old when Juan Manuel Fangio won in Monza in 1955 - but this victory is something I will remember for a very long time."
The build-up to the race had been dominated by talk of Bahrain, where F1 heads this week. But from the moment the lights went out this race demanded complete attention. It boiled down to a strategic battle between those drivers who had opted for two stops and those doing three.
Rosberg went for two, while behind him the McLarens, with Button starting fifth on the grid and Hamilton seventh, were both on three-stoppers. Button might have had a chance of hunting down Rosberg until a problem fitting a rear wheel at his final pit stop delayed the Englishman.
Still, it made for a spectacular battle for second place over the final 10 laps, with the cars running in a line initially from Kimi Raikkonen's Lotus in second place all the way back to Paul di Resta's Force India in 13th.
The day, though, belonged to Mercedes, and to Rosberg, who took further encouragement from the words of three-time world champion Niki Lauda.
"I was convinced my time would come when the car is ready," Rosberg said. Can he go on to challenge for the title? "Niki said to me 'From now on winning gets easy'. So if that's the case I'll take it - he must know."
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