The story of the first Hamilton v Rosberg title-deciding showdown
Monday 28 November 2016 11:28, UK
The Duel in the Desert? Yes, Formula 1 has been here before.
Two years ago in fact, when the first exclusive battle for the world title between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg came down to a final-race shootout in the opulent surroundings of Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina Circuit.
On that occasion it was Hamilton in the box seat - the Briton led Rosberg by 17 points following a spurt of five wins in the previous six races. Leaving Spa, and the Mercedes team-mates' acrimonious collision, in late August, Rosberg had been as many as 29 points ahead but Hamilton reeled him in relentlessly thereafter.
However, Hamilton's challenge in Abu Dhabi was made tougher by what turned out to be the one-off, and highly controversial, advent of double points for the season finale.
The fact there were 50, rather than the usual 25, points up for grabs for the race winner meant Hamilton needed to finish at least second to secure the crown. Under the points system in place for the previous 18 races, and every one since 'Abu Double', sixth would have got the job done.
It wasn't quite winner takes all, but the unusual permutations still meant nothing could be taken for granted heading into the decider.
What happened in Qualifying?
Mercedes front-row lockouts have rarely been in doubt this season, and that was certainly the case in 2014 when the Silver Arrows were almost untouchable in the first year of F1's new hybrid engine era.
Abu Dhabi represented their eighth successive qualifying one-two although, in the twist the title battle needed for the neutral, it was Rosberg who beat an error-strewn Hamilton to pole position.
Hamilton had led the way in the first two stages of qualifying but lost out to his team-mate by 0.386 seconds when the pressure cranked up in the final shootout. Lock-ups under braking on each of his Q3 timed laps meant he ended up closer to the Williams' cars directly behind than Rosberg ahead.
"It was a scruffy qualifying from Lewis and he could have been just fifth," said Sky F1's Martin Brundle in commentary at the time. "He just over-drives the final part of qualifying - which isn't what he used to do. It will have hurt his pride to be out-qualified so comprehensively."
It was Rosberg's 11th pole of the year, but he wasn't getting carried away: "This weekend is about the championship and not about pole position. It would have been great if somehow a Williams could have got between the two of us but that can always happen tomorrow."
As it turned out, the polesitter was right to be cautious.
What happened in the Race?
"The start was like a rocket and probably the best I've ever had," Hamilton later reflected.
It's more often the case that a race can be lost at the first corner, rather than won, but for Hamilton the latter essentially proved true as he made the most electric of getaways to overtake polesitter Rosberg well before the first corner.
His second world title was effectively clinched right there and then.
Enjoying a small, but comfortable, two-second lead over his team-mate in the race's opening 20 laps, Hamilton was already well on course for the title when Rosberg's W05 developed what would turn into a crippling energy-recovery failure just before half distance.
Down on power, and increasingly in trouble with his over-worked brakes, Rosberg's race turned into an agonising slide down the order as he attempted to get to the finish in the fifth place that would still see him become champion if Hamilton himself hit terminal car trouble.
But with seven laps to go Rosberg was seventh and, with his car problems only worsening, he was asked by his race engineer if he wanted to retire. Despite the hopelessness of the situation, and the fact he was lapped by his team-mate, Rosberg manfully soldiered to the finish and came home 14th.
It was a cruel end to a championship battle he had led for so long, but the German still sought out Hamilton afterwards to personally congratulate the newly-crowned double world champion.
"It's been so intense between us all year long," said Hamilton. "There's been good moments and bad moments. Without a doubt we've had a friendship or a relationship that we built a long, long, long time ago, so that will always be there. He was a very, very fierce competitor this year, he did an exceptional job. He's going to be quick for a long time.
"Perhaps things naturally will ease up a little now. He was graceful enough to come up to me and see me after, which I really appreciated. It was really big of him to be able to do that. It's very, very tough, I know what it's like losing a championship so, for sure, we'll keep working at it."
Two years on the rivalry on track remains just as intense, with another world championship crown on the line in the Duel in the Desert...Part Two.
