Friday evening at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi and with both free practices complete, Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg have yet to emerge to the awaiting media at the back of the team garage.
For the British Hamilton, it had been a very good Friday – top of both sessions was good; consistently quick through his longer runs was better; well ahead on pace of any other team was best.
But this was only Friday.
Come the following day, Rosberg topped the final practice and then – again – qualifying, while the Williams duo of Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa also began to show their hands. The Martini un-liveried cars were certainly causing a few wrinkles at Mercedes, but whether they could prove as potent in the race…
Through the Sunday evening spectacular, Hamilton needed to finish at least 2nd to secure the title and a lightning start gave him an instant lead.
There were, of course, some worries that reliability would spoil the event and to a degree it did when Rosberg’s ERS failed on lap 23, muting his challenge with immediate effect.
Hamilton won the title, but Massa’s strategy gave the Brazilian a shot at the race, but realistically that was more down to Hamilton’s power unit being ‘turned down’ than anything.
But before all that, the media waited – the gathered throng keen for words and analysis. On Friday evening, the crux of these stories were still to be woven; their tales to be told.
By Sunday night, the full-stop had been applied and a breathless Lewis Hamilton departed a double-world champion.
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