Nico Rosberg wins battle against Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa to seal Austrian Grand Prix victory but crash between Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen takes gloss off of race 

By Jonathan Mcevoy In Spielberg

Published: 08:38 EST, 21 June 2015 | Updated: 03:20 EST, 22 June 2015

One crucial second on the clock and Nico Rosberg was gone. That is all it took for Lewis Hamilton’s race to be over, blown away at the start in a manner he is more used to inflicting on others than suffering himself.

Rosberg held his line and his nerve to maintain his lead and hold off the double world champion through the first few dangerous corners of the Austrian Grand Prix. Goodnight Vienna.

Importantly, Rosberg’s victory means he trails Hamilton, who finished second, by just 10 points going into the British Grand Prix in a fortnight. It is suddenly cheek-by-jowl in the championship standings.

Nico Rosberg (centre) waves to the crowd as he stands on the podium while Lewis Hamilton (left) and Felipe Massa watch on (right)

Nico Rosberg (centre) waves to the crowd as he stands on the podium while Lewis Hamilton (left) and Felipe Massa watch on (right)

German racing driver Rosberg acknowledges the crowd after winning the race ahead of the likes of Hamilton and Massa

German racing driver Rosberg acknowledges the crowd after winning the race ahead of the likes of Hamilton and Massa

The tightness at the top, albeit exclusively among team-mates, is a tonic for a sport that arrived here in its most navel-gazing form.

No less than Bernie Ecclestone, the promoter for heaven’s sake, said that the product is ‘crap’. It was his Gerald Ratner moment. The sport’s ringmaster was effectively saying: don’t roll-up, don’t roll-up.

Thousands didn’t. Last year’s crowd of 95,000 had dwindled to 55,000 yesterday. Part of that is because last year’s race was the first at the revamped, renamed Red Bull Ring, some 100 miles south of Vienna, and attendances traditionally fall at the second time of staging a new race.

Whatever the reasons, Formula One felt as if it needed a shot in the arm. There was a malaise among many paddock regulars this weekend.

Rosberg lifts trophy in the air after his victory while Hamilton refuses to look at his Mercedes team-mate and arch-rival

Rosberg lifts trophy in the air after his victory while Hamilton refuses to look at his Mercedes team-mate and arch-rival

British Formula One driver Hamilton did not look too pleased as he stood on the podium alongside Rosberg and Massa

British Formula One driver Hamilton did not look too pleased as he stood on the podium alongside Rosberg and Massa

STANDINGS AFTER AUSTRIAN GP 

1. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 169

2. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 159

3. Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Ferrari 120

4. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 72

5. Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams 67

6. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams 62

7. Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Red Bull 36

8. Daniil Kvyat (Russia) Red Bull 19

9. Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India 18

10. Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus 17

Rosberg, though, was delirious. He hurled himself into his Mercedes team like a crowd surfer after winning his third race of the season. One sensed he thought the victory carried a significance that went beyond the 25 points he won.

‘It’s an awesome feeling,’ he said. ‘The start made the race. It was a great start. I pushed flat out this time.’

Called ‘Lewis’ by Gerhard Berger, who conducted the TV interviews, Rosberg joked: ‘It is easy to confuse us.’

Hamilton, who kept his composure reasonably well on the podium, was less talkative in the press conference that followed. I am sorry to say he is still not the most magnanimous of losers. But he was gracious enough to say: ‘He was quicker during the race.’

Other than for his mistake at the start, Hamilton drove over a white line as he left the pits after his stop. That resulted in the stewards giving him a five-second penalty, to be imposed at the end of the race. He, therefore, had not only to pass Rosberg but get five seconds in front of him.

Although he got to within a couple of seconds of his team-mate before he pitted, he did not look likely to have the speed to catch him.

Mercedes driver Rosberg (left) finished ahead of his team-mate and rival Hamilton to finish in top spot on Sunday afternoon

Mercedes driver Rosberg (left) finished ahead of his team-mate and rival Hamilton to finish in top spot on Sunday afternoon

Rosberg, who won on this track a year ago, was in the groove and Hamilton was not. Hamilton did, however, manage to maintain a big enough gap over Williams’ Felipe Massa, who finished third.

Asked later about his transgression leaving the pit, Hamilton said: ‘I have no idea what happened. I don’t think I went over anything, so...’

Although it was irrelevant yesterday, having a five-second penalty being applied retrospectively is a flawed rule.

We could have had the situation where the crowd here and millions watching on TV saw Hamilton win, by say four seconds, only to be told that the result was being changed.

It would be akin to a batsman scoring a century only for him to return to the pavilion to learn he had actually scored 95.

Formula One is a sport looking to restore some of its lustre after all its belly-aching about what’s gone wrong, and should not leave itself open to the potential of this kind of farce.

McLaren’s misfortune was not confined to Fernando Alonso’s crash. His team-mate Jenson Button, who started at the back of the grid after an engine change and a stop-go penalty, retired after nine laps with a sensor failure.

In 16 races for their two cars this season, the team have had seven retirements, a crash and two ‘did not starts’.

This was all very embarrassing in front of Honda’s new president Takahiro Hachigo, who was attending his first grand prix.

Fernando Alonso's car (left) lands on top of Kimi Raikkonen's (right) during a crash on lap one 

Fernando Alonso's car (left) lands on top of Kimi Raikkonen's (right) during a crash on lap one 

Alonso's car came over the top of Raikkonen's vehicle during the collision at the Austrian Grand Prix

Alonso's car came over the top of Raikkonen's vehicle during the collision at the Austrian Grand Prix

This image shows the view Finnish racing driver Raikkonen had after the crash with Formula One rival Alonso 

This image shows the view Finnish racing driver Raikkonen had after the crash with Formula One rival Alonso 

Alonso's car was inches away from hitting Raikkonen, any contact could have resulted in a serious injury

Alonso's car was inches away from hitting Raikkonen, any contact could have resulted in a serious injury

The two drivers check to see if they are OK following the crash before having to retire from the Austrian Grand Prix race

The two drivers check to see if they are OK following the crash before having to retire from the Austrian Grand Prix race

Alonso stares at Raikonnen's car following the crash and checks to see if his rival is OK during the first lap of the Austrian Grand Prix

Alonso stares at Raikonnen's car following the crash and checks to see if his rival is OK during the first lap of the Austrian Grand Prix

The safety car comes out after the crash as Alonso's car smashed into the railings of the course, leaving debris on the racetrack  

The safety car comes out after the crash as Alonso's car smashed into the railings of the course, leaving debris on the racetrack  

The race cars of Ferrari driver Raikkonen and McLaren Honda's Alonso are towed away by a yellow removal truck 

The race cars of Ferrari driver Raikkonen and McLaren Honda's Alonso are towed away by a yellow removal truck 

Raikkonen's car is retrieved by marshals as the vehicle was unable to deal with the severity of the high impact crash

Raikkonen's car is retrieved by marshals as the vehicle was unable to deal with the severity of the high impact crash

Alonso's McLaren car was also taken away by marshals as both drivers were unable to continue after the opening lap 

Alonso's McLaren car was also taken away by marshals as both drivers were unable to continue after the opening lap 

Alonso said it was 'very scary' to see another car underneath his but was happy to see Raikkonen walk away without a serious injury

Alonso said it was 'very scary' to see another car underneath his but was happy to see Raikkonen walk away without a serious injury

Alonso is given a lift back to the paddock after the frightening crash during the opening exchanges of the race

Alonso is given a lift back to the paddock after the frightening crash during the opening exchanges of the race

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