Nico Rosberg's second place finish in the US Grand Prix was an anticlimax for the German driver who was hoping to secure a win and at least delay a little further Lewis Hamilton's inevitable 2015 coronation.
Rosberg appeared thoroughly frustrated with himself in the aftermath of the exhilarating action packed race, and confused over his botched start and the unforced error which handed victory to his team mate in the closing laps.
On the run-up to Turn 1 after the lights went green, excessive wheel spin from the lead Mercedes enabled Hamilton to pull up alongside Rosberg, taking the inside line before edging out the German on the exit, a move which Rosberg clearly views as overly aggressive as minor contact ensued
"That was tough losing the lead like that," Rosberg said. "At Turn 1 for sure it was very aggressive, we hit each other, or I would say Lewis came into me, so that is not good but I can’t say more than that. But it didn't have that much of an impact on the race."
After getting the measure of Red Bull drivers Ricciardo and Kvyat, and managing efficiently both Safety Car, and Virtual Safety Car, periods, Rosberg eventually got the upper hand over Hamilton.
In the closing stages of the race, he looked set to win but lost it around Turn 16 when he appeared to overcook his rear tyres, almost spinning and handing the lead to Hamilton.
"It was a mistake that cost me the win," said Rosberg. "Getting too much wheelspin and getting away with the tyres not fully up to temperature."
"It felt strange as it had not happened to me before. Not even in testing, racing or anything like that. I don’t know how to explain it. It is unbelievable so we will look into that first."
The German naturally conceded defeat to his team mate whom he considers is the best man this season.
"Congratulations to Lewis, he's had a great season and deserves the championship thanks to his driving and consistency."
AS IT HAPPENED: United States Grand Prix
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