Rosberg a winner among champions
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[September 20, 2016]
By Alan Baldwin
LONDON (Reuters) - Nico Rosberg drew
level with Damon Hill in Formula One's all-time list of race winners
on Sunday and the odds are narrowing on the German matching the
Briton again as the only sons of world champions to take the title.
Hill, the 1996 champion and son of late double title-holder Graham,
currently stands alone with that achievement but maybe not for much
longer.
Even if Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton remains the bookmakers'
favorite to take his fourth title, Rosberg is increasingly fancied
after retaking the championship lead with six races to go.
"While Rosberg has the advantage on paper, we think Lewis Hamilton
is still favorite but only just," commented William Hill spokesman
Joe Crilly.
Malaysia, next up in two weeks' time, could swing the balance
further towards the German who has won all three races since the
summer break and eight -- out of 15 -- this season.
He is eight points clear of Hamilton, the first time he has led the
standings since July, and reaching new levels of performance.
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"I've known Nico since 2013 and that is the best Nico Rosberg I have
ever seen throughout the weekend since then," declared Mercedes
motorsport head Toto Wolff. "He was just blindingly fast."
The German is already a Formula One phenomenon, holding an unwanted
record that he hopes to shed -- that of the most successful driver
not to win a championship.
He took that from Britain's Stirling Moss, who won 16 grands prix
and was four times overall runner-up in the 1950s.
No driver has ever won eight races in a season and not taken the
title, even if there are a record 21 this year, so that would also
be a first if he fails to prevail.
Rosberg, whose Finnish father Keke took the 1982 title and won just
five Formula One races, already has more victories to his name than
19 champions.
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![](../images/092016pics/sports63.jpg)
Mercedes' Nico Rosberg of Germany celebrates winning the race .
REUTERS/Jeremy Lee
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His 22 puts him level with Hill, whose father ranks some way behind
on 14.
One more would put Rosberg level with triple champion Nelson Piquet
of Brazil, two would equal five-times champion Juan Manuel Fangio of
Argentina.
By the end of the season, if he continues the streak, he could have
passed Niki Lauda, Jim Clark (both 25) and Jackie Stewart (27).
Finns have already hailed Rosberg as their most successful driver --
the German-born Monaco resident has a Finnish passport -- since he
overtook double champion Mika Hakkinen and 2007 winner Kimi
Raikkonen (both 20 wins).
Rosberg made more history in Singapore on Sunday when he became, in
his 200th career start, the first non-champion to win that floodlit
race since it joined the calendar in 2008.
"What a weekend, crazy stuff," he said. "It just all came together
really well...
"Singapore hasn't treated me all too well in the past years,
especially 2014 breaking down on the start whilst I was in the
championship battle. So to get the win here was also extra-special."
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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