But the world champion pointed to the fact that he had already come back from a 43-point deficit to Rosberg after the first four races of the season as a reason for optimism.
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“It has been an awesome weekend in Singapore for me”, said Rosberg, who has won the last three races since the summer break.
“Throughout the race I wasn’t really thinking about what happens when I catch him, I was just focusing on trying to catch him and put some pressure on”.
In a race that opened and finished in spectacular style, Ricciardo found himself on the better tyres at the end as he chased down Rosberg on ultra softs to reduce a 20 second gap to half a second at the finish line.
Rosberg, who went on to win the race and take the championship lead, added: “It was not a nice experience to see someone running across [the track] when I’m arriving at 300 [km/h]”.
Rosberg said: “After the (last) pit stop the team said that he would be with me at the end of the race, which was the case, so for sure I had to be on it, get everything right, nail all those laps”.
Ricciardo’s Red Bull team followed suit and the Australian nearly took full advantage as he closed on Rosberg in the final few laps but the latter was able to just about hang on for a vital win.
“We have come close on numerous occasions but I am not disappointed”, said Ricciardo on the podium.
While Rosberg held off Daniel Ricciardo to win his eighth grand prix of the season, Hamilton was struggling with brake issues and tentative strategy had to be abandoned when the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen passed him during his middle stint.
Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany is embraced by his team after winning the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix on the Marina Bay City Circuit Singapore, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016.
F1’s governing body, the FIA, requires that race control radio “track clear” three times before restarts. “He couldn’t really double check the set-up, he wasn’t happy with the set-up, the auto wasn’t like it was”.
The Dutchman began the race fourth, but made a poor start and was in eighth when an early safety vehicle was called for a big crash that ended Nico Hulkenburg’s race.
Rosberg’s maiden win here was also his third on the trot, after Spa and Monza, and it was especially sweet after the troubles he and Hamilton faced in the same race a year ago.
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“Spa wasn’t a real good opportunity for him because of the engine penalty and here it just started on the wrong foot”, said Wolff. Sixth went to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, seventh to McLaren-Honda’s Fernando Alonso. “Some weekends he does great, some weekends I do great”.
