SOCHI – Nico Rosberg vowed to bounce back and win the next race in Texas but in his heart he knows his Formula One title hopes are over for another year after retiring from Sunday’s Russian Grand Prix.
With Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton taking his ninth win of the season, the German is now 73 points behind the Briton with four races – a maximum of 100 points –still to come.
As Mercedes non-executive chairman Niki Lauda said after the race at Sochi’s Olympic Park circuit, Rosberg has only a mathematical chance.
“He could have won the race today so if you lose 25 points then it’s difficult,” the Austrian told Reuters when asked whether he saw any way back for the German.
“Mathematically yes, but then Lewis has to retire now and go home. He will not.”
Rosberg had started on pole position and kept Hamilton behind him but his hopes of a victory evaporated early on when his car developed a throttle problem that forced him
The retirement was Rosberg’s second in four races and allowed Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel to overtake him for second place overall. The four-time champion is now 66 points behind Hamilton.
Hamilton need only score two points more than Rosberg at the next race in Austin, and nine more than Vettel, to win his third championship.
A Mercedes one-two, with Rosberg second as was the case in Austin last year, would do it.
Despite the odds, Rosberg said he would be fighting right to the bitter end. (Reuters)