3) Nico Rosberg
It was a breakthrough year for Nico Rosberg in 2014, making his first serious challenge for the World Drivers’ Championship, and although he came up short, he proved to his doubters once and for all that he is amongst the elite drivers in the world.
His Saturday performances were spectacular, with the German taking eleven of the nineteen pole positions on offer, and only started off the front row on four occasions. Unfortunately for Rosberg, he could only convert three of those pole positions into race victories – in Monaco, Germany and Brazil.
For the first eight races of the year he finished either first or second, with three wins coming in Melbourne, Monaco and the Red Bull Ring, before an untimely retirement while leading at Silverstone cost him valuable points in the championship. He came back fighting in front of his home fans at Hockenheim to lead from start to finish.
He was unlucky with the timing of the safety car in Hungary whilst leading that meant he lost the lead and ultimately finished off the podium in fourth, but it was in Spa-Francorchamps that the most controversial moment of the season occurred, when Rosberg clipped the back of team-mate Lewis Hamilton whilst attempting an overtake on the second lap, puncturing Hamilton’s rear tyre and breaking Rosberg’s front wing, which he was forced to change. Despite making a good fight back, he could not close enough on Daniel Ricciardo and was forced to settle for second at the flag.
More uncharacteristic mistakes followed at Monza where he lost the lead to Hamilton after missing the chicane, but more damaging to his championship hopes was the weekend in Singapore, when a car issue before the start consigned him to a race of misery that he ultimately decided to retire from while struggling to pass the Marussia and Caterham drivers.
In Japan he was passed for the lead by Hamilton, and then made a rash move on the opening lap in Sochi that saw him pit early, but making a set of tyres last pretty much the whole race saw him finish second again, before again being passed for the lead by Hamilton in Austin. He got a much needed win in Interlagos, but when car troubles began to set in during the finale in Abu Dhabi, he knew he was beaten, but the way he decided to stay out despite being way off the pace just to see the chequered flag needs commending.
2014 was the year that Rosberg stepped up, but in 2015 he will need to raise his game even further if he is to beat Hamilton, who will have the confidence having claimed the title. Five wins for the German in what was his best season to date, but it could and should have been more. Was this Rosberg’s best chance of taking the championship? Only time will tell.
