- Abu Dhabi GP - Race
Mercedes let Rosberg down - Wolff
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff feels his team let Nico Rosberg down to some extent after a reliability issue hindered his chances of taking the title fight to Lewis Hamilton in Abu Dhabi.
Hamilton won the race after taking the lead from Rosberg at the start, making it unlikely Rosberg would be able to get the result he needed. But when Rosberg's car started to experiencing an Energy Recovery System (ERS) problem before the end of the race, it signalled the end of his championship challenge as he dropped to 14th.
"The bitter part is that we worked so hard and in a diligent way to make the car reliable to enable the boys to fight it out on track. That we had the problem on Nico's car is something that gives us a bitter taste and I feel that we let him down a little bit. With hindsight, you can say - from a rational point of view - that it was already difficult to make it after he had not had a perfect start."
However, Wolff said if a reliability issue on Hamilton's car had altered the outcome of the championship it would have been worse.
"Nico not finishing for us is a personal drama because we are expected to give them two cars that will make it to the end. Lewis not finishing - being in the lead in the championship and being in the lead in the race - would be an even bigger drama. Nevertheless, it doesn't make it any more good to have seen Nico's car break down."
Wolff said he is relieved the championship is over after trying so hard to remain unbiased and equal between the two drivers this weekend.
"It's a relief now and that has really kicked in the last hour. We knew that we had won the drivers' championship before, but we also knew it was going to be a challenge staying neutral and balancing out between the drivers. For us, that was a particular challenge. Now that that is over it is a relief."
Wolff said there was no doubt in his mind that Hamilton was a deserving champion.
"Lewis Hamilton won 11 races and deserved to be world champion. He had an incredible season with many downs and many ups, and at the end he is a worthy world champion."
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