If Chinese fortune cookies could foretell the outcome of this year’s Shanghai Grand Prix, it would be the most popular cookie throughout the world for predicting other events.
Especially among those who like to have a gamble or visit a casino as it was Mercedes first Grand Prix since 1955, and German driver Nico Rosberg’s first ever win.
Joining him on the winners’ podium were British McLaren drivers Jensen Button and Lewis Hamilton.
And if a first ever win for Rosberg and the first for Mercedes weren’t enough to confound the experts, Lewis Hamilton’s third place position meant he has come third in the first three races of 2012 – a number that puts him in the lead of the drivers’ championship.
Although he won the race last year Hamilton won’t be unhappy with his performance. Consistency has never been his strong point, but coming third in three straight races is consistent enough to see him eyeing the 2012 championship already.
If he is more at ease with himself it could be down to his move from Switzerland to Monaco just before the season began. The media reported that during his rest time he was bored in Switzerland, but since buying a Monaco property and taking residency in the Principality he is happier in himself and less tense – and it’s showing on the track.
Speaking after the race Hamilton said that he was very happy to make it up to the podium, that the McLaren team did a great job through the pit stops and he thought it was one of the best races so far in the season Adding that it had been a fantastic day.
And on the theme of lucky numbers a good part of Nico Rosberg’s win can be put down to Mercedes judging the number of pit stops right – Rosberg had two while many teams opted for three.
Rosberg has been in F1 for six years, and his first victory has been a long time coming. he joined Mercedes in 2010.
His first race was in Bahrain in 2006 – and next Sunday is the Bahrain Grand Prix which will be very controversial as it was thought at one stage that it would be scrapped due to the domestic political problems there, and the chance for pro-democracy protesters to bring their campaign to the world’s attention by disrupting the race, or worse seeing some supporters killed by the F1 cars during the race if they run on to the circuit – the suffragettes employed a similar strategy to highlight their campaign for women’s votes in Britain when Emily Davison ran in front of the King’s horse at the Derby and subsequently died. Google + will be interesting this week in the build up as people from Bahrain add comments to the social media.
But Rosberg and the other drivers will start worrying about that tomorrow. For today he and Mercedes will rightly be celebrating a great victory at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Speaking after the race Niko Rosberg said that his first win was an unbelievable feeling, very cool, and that he was happy and excited, adding that it had been a long time coming for both him and Mercedes.
Tags: Bahrain Grand Prix, casino, Emily Davison, F1, Mercedes, Monaco property, Nico Rosberg, suffragettes