NICO Rosberg won his maiden Formula 1 world championship Sunday by securing second place behind Mercedes arch-rival Lewis Hamilton in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Reigning champion Hamilton ignored team orders in a last bid to block his German teammate. But Rosberg, who started the 21st and final race of 2016 12 points clear of Hamilton, would not be denied.

Rosberg’s second place meant he clinched his first championship by five points. He emulates his father Keke who won the title in 1982.

RESULTS: Click here for full results for the Abu Dhabi GP

BACK UP: Hamilton denies using dirty tactics in tense title-deciding race

RACE BY RACE: How Rosberg beat Hamilton to the 2016 world title

Lewis Hamilton wins the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix narrowly from Nico Rosberg, Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen. Source: AFP

Nico Rosberg celebrates winning the Formula 1 Drivers Championship in Abu Dhabi. Source: Getty Images

With the race win - his tenth of the year - assured, Hamilton ignored team orders to speed up as he toyed with the pace, slowing it down in a last ditch bid to try to allow third-placed Sebastian Vettel and fourth-placed Max Verstappen to overtake Rosberg.

Rosberg returned to applause and cheers from the pits, and lifted F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone up in the air in a massive bear hug.

In contrast there was barely any contact between Rosberg and him and deposed champion Hamilton before the presentation.

Nico Rosberg celebrates winning the Formula 1 Drivers Championship. Source: AP

Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg share an awkward embrace on the Abu Dhabi podium. Source: Getty Images

That came on the podium, when Hamilton congratulated his former teenage go-karting companion with a handshake and a hug.

“Big congratulations to Nico, good job man,” said Hamilton.

Rosberg reliving the final tense laps, said: “With the guys (Vettel and Verstappen) coming up behind me the end was not the most enjoyable.

“I’m very proud to have done the same feat as my Dad achieved.”

Relive the race with our live blog.</s>ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — German driver Nico Rosberg held his nerve to win the Formula One championship for the first time after finishing second at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday.

Defending champion Lewis Hamilton won the race from pole position for his 53rd GP win.

Rosberg was 12 points ahead of his teammate coming into the title showdown and only needed to finish third, even if Hamilton won.

Hamilton blatantly disobeyed team orders to speed up near the end, thus backing Rosberg toward Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen in third and fourth places, respectively.

Vettel could not quite pass Rosberg and he finished third ahead of Verstappen.

Having finished runner-up for the past two seasons, the 31-year-old Rosberg finally emulates his father Keke Rosberg, who won the F1 title in 1982.

“That was definitely not the most enjoyable race I’ve had. Can’t believe it’s over. I’m ecstatic,” Rosberg said.

Hamilton, meanwhile, misses out on a third straight title and fourth overall, despite ending the year with 10 wins — one more than Rosberg.

Hamilton slowed in the later stages of the race to increase the chances of Rosberg being overtaken by other drivers. If Rosberg had been passed by Vettel and Verstappen and had finished fourth, then Hamilton would have held onto his title.

When his team told him over race radio to up the tempo, Hamilton replied bluntly: “I suggest you guys let us race.”

Even a direct order from Mercedes’ executive director Paddy Lowe four laps from the end did not work.

Rosberg was clearly getting nervous, and Vettel was a wheel’s length away from him on the final lap.

But he kept his cool and his elation was evident as he let out a delighted screech of “Yes! World champion” when he crossed the line.

Then he jumped out of his car and danced around the track before being hugged by his mechanics.

Hamilton made a point of coming over to congratulate Rosberg and offered him a hug. Rosberg accepted but it was a brief one, and then he carried on celebrating as he was tossed into the air by his Mercedes crew.

He then grabbed Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone and lifted him into the air, while Ecclestone congratulated him.

Hamilton stood in the corner sipping water as Vettel — himself a four-time F1 champion — smiled and congratulated Rosberg.

On the podium, Rosberg’s eyes were watering as the weight of his achievement sank in and he thanked his wife, who also wiped away tears.

“A big congratulation to Nico. Good job man,” Hamilton said, and they shook hands more enthusiastically this time.

“Congrats to Lewis, you are a great competitor,” Rosberg said.

Rosberg survived the tense finale of the race as well as earlier drama when he was close to colliding with Verstappen on lap 21 as they jostled for second place.

With the sun setting on the Yas Marina track, the race started with Hamilton on pole for the 12th time this season — a career best — and 61st overall, four behind Brazilian great Ayrton Senna.

Hamilton got away cleanly, as did Rosberg — albeit cautiously. Meanwhile, Verstappen’s car went into a spin following contact shortly after the start, dropping down from sixth to last, but soon caught up.

Hamilton came in for his first tire change on the eighth lap, and Rosberg came in for his on the next lap.

But the German driver was held up for a couple of seconds by Vettel, who had just come in for his stop, and when he came out, he was behind Verstappen and Hamilton.

Rosberg needed to overtake Verstappen to get closer to Hamilton, but his team told him not to take any risks.

Verstappen, the youngest driver to win an F1 race, has earned a reputation for his risky, borderline dangerous overtaking and has upset other drivers this season.

As he and Rosberg jostled for second place, they twice almost came into contact, and Rosberg must have been mightily relieved to see him pitting shortly after.

He was back on his tail later on, but Vettel was between them and he didn’t get another crack at Rosberg.

Last season, Hamilton sealed the championship in style with three races to spare, while in 2014 the title also went down to the final race in Abu Dhabi. However, Rosberg was in contention then because of a double points rule that applied only to the final race and has since been scrapped.

After losing last year’s title, the German driver won the final three races of the campaign and the first four of this year to show Hamilton that he meant business.

As Hamilton struggled with engine problems early on, Rosberg looked in command as he opened up a lead of 43 points.

The topsy-turvy campaign saw Hamilton bounce back to lead Rosberg by 19 points heading into the summer break.

Rosberg then turned the tables on Hamilton to lead again by 33 points, only for Hamilton to respond with three straight wins to trim that to 12 heading into their Abu Dhabi showdown.

Last-race scenarios are nothing new to Hamilton and this was fourth time he has been involved in such a finale.

He won on the last day of the season in 2008, beating Brazilian Felipe Massa by one point in a dramatic final race.

The previous year, Hamilton was the one feeling bruised as he lost the title by one point to Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen.</s>Nico Rosberg wins his first Formula One title after finishing the year five points clear of Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton. Rosberg finished second in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday - behind Hamilton, who won the race - which was enough to secure his maiden world championship</s>German driver Nico Rosberg held his nerve to win the Formula One championship for the first time after finishing second at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday.

Defending champion Lewis Hamilton won the race from pole position for his 53rd GP win.

Rosberg was 12 points ahead of his teammate coming into the title showdown and only needed to finish third, even if Hamilton won.

Hamilton blatantly disobeyed team orders to speed up near the end, thus backing Rosberg toward Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen in third and fourth places, respectively.

Vettel could not quite pass Rosberg and he finished third ahead of Verstappen.

Having finished runner-up for the past two seasons, the 31-year-old Rosberg finally emulates his father Keke Rosberg, who won the F1 title in 1982.

“That was definitely not the most enjoyable race I’ve had. Can’t believe it’s over. I’m ecstatic,” Rosberg said.

Hamilton, meanwhile, misses out a third straight title and fourth overall, despite ending the year with 10 wins — one more than Rosberg.

Hamilton slowed in the later stages of the race to increase the chances of Rosberg being overtaken by other drivers. If Rosberg had been passed by Vettel and Verstappen and had finsihed fourth, then Hamilton would have held onto his title.

When his team told him over race radio to up the tempo, Hamilton replied bluntly: “I suggest you guys let us race.”

Even a direct order from Mercedes’ executive director Paddy Lowe four laps from the end did not work.

Rosberg was clearly getting nervous, and Vettel was a wheel’s length away from him on the final lap.

But he kept his cool and his elation was evident as he let out a delighted screech of “Yes! World champion” when he crossed the line.

Then he jumped out of his car and danced around the track before being hugged by his mechanics.

Hamilton made a point of coming over to congratulate Rosberg and offered him a hug. Rosberg accepted but it was a brief one, and then he carried on celebrating as he was tossed into the air by his Mercedes crew.

He then grabbed Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone and lifted him into the air, while Ecclestone congratulated him.

Hamilton stood in the corner sipping water as Vettel — himself a four-time F1 champion — smiled and congratulated Rosberg.</s>With Lewis Hamilton purposefully slowing him down, two other drivers hard on his tail and the title on the line, Nico Rosberg held his nerve to win the Formula 1 championship for the first time yesterday.

The German finished second at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix behind defending champion Hamilton, who won the race from pole position for his 53rd GP win. But Rosberg was 12 points ahead of his Mercedes team-mate coming into the title showdown and only needed to finish no lower than third if Hamilton won.

In the end, it felt like the most difficult second place of his career. “It was so intense, the race, so tough,” said Rosberg, who finished runner-up to Hamilton in the previous two years.

Rosberg repeatedly wiped his face and lowered his head several times in the post-race news conference, appearing emotionally exhausted as he tilted back into his chair and rubbed his eyes. Still, he expects to find plenty of energy to celebrate his win.

“Tonight’s going to be absolutely nuts,” he said. “I don’t think I’m going to be available for a few days.”

The 31-year-old finally emulated his father Keke Rosberg, pictured, who won the F1 title in 1982. “Two Rosbergs are world champions... if I’ve got my statistics right,” Rosberg said jokingly, before recounting how his father has adopted a keen but discreet profile. “Every Saturday night I get a text from him: ‘Pedal to the metal’. That’s it. It’s good that he’s let me get on with it.”

Hamilton blatantly disobeyed team orders to speed up near the end, thus backing Rosberg toward Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen in third and fourth places, respectively. “If I had dropped behind those guys it was over,” Rosberg said.

Vettel could not quite pass Rosberg, finishing third ahead of Verstappen and fourth overall in the championship behind Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo.

Hamilton, meanwhile, misses out on a third straight title and fourth overall, despite ending the year with ten wins – one more than Rosberg.

“Nico drove well not to make a mistake,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton slowed in the later stages of the race to increase the chances of Rosberg being overtaken by other drivers. If Rosberg had been passed by Vettel and Verstappen and had finished fourth, Hamilton would have held on to his title. When his team told him over race radio to up the tempo, Hamilton replied bluntly: “I suggest you guys let us race.”

Even a direct order from Mercedes’ executive director Paddy Lowe four laps from the end did not work. Rosberg did not criticise Hamilton’s tactics, saying he understood that it was the British driver’s best chance. Hamilton was emphatically unapologetic. “I don’t know why they just didn’t let us race,” he said. “It’s a bit of a shame.”

Vettel was a wheel’s length away from him on the final lap, but Rosberg kept his cool and his elation was evident as he let out a delighted screech of “Yes! World champion” when he crossed the line.

While there was joy for Rosberg, Jenson Button’s F1 farewell ended in sad style when he retired early from the race with a suspension problem.

“My race was short, but I loved everything else. I was really emotional before I got in the car,” Button said. “It was such a special atmosphere to have the whole team and all my friends and family cheering me on my way into the garage. I’m just glad I was wearing my sunglasses.”

Button, a hugely popular figure among fans and other drivers alike, stepped out and waved to the crowd one last time before being comforted by mechanics and his mother.

“I’m very content with all I’ve achieved in my career,” Button said. “Now, it’s done.”</s>Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team's German driver Nico Rosberg steers his car during the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix at the Yas Marina circuit on Sunday.

Nico Rosberg emulates his father Keke who won the title in 1982.

Nico Rosberg won his maiden Formula One world title Sunday by securing second place behind Mercedes arch-rival Lewis Hamilton in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Reigning champion Hamilton ignored team orders in a last bid to block his German teammate. But Rosberg, who started the 21st and final race of 2016 12 points clear of Hamilton, would not be denied.

Rosberg's second place meant he clinched his first championship by five points.

He emulates his father Keke who won the title in 1982.

With the race win - his tenth of the year - assured, Hamilton ignored team orders to speed up as he toyed with the pace, slowing it down in a last ditch bid to try to allow third-placed Sebastian Vettel and fourth-placed Max Verstappen to overtake Rosberg.

Rosberg returned to applause and cheers from the pits, and lifted F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone up in the air in a massive bear hug.

In contrast there was barely any contact between Rosberg and him and deposed champion Hamilton before the presentation.

That came on the podium, when Hamilton congratulated his former teenage go-carting companion with a handshake and a hug.

Rosberg reliving the final tense laps, said: "With the guys (Vettel and Verstappen) coming up behind me the end was not the most enjoyable.

"I'm very proud to have done the same feat as my Dad achieved."

Five Nico Rosberg quotes that highlight the bumps and scrapes in his relationship with teammate and arch-rival Lewis Hamilton:

"The number one rule for us as team-mates is that we must not collide but that is exactly what happened. For that error of judgement, I apologise to Lewis and the team."

Rosberg apologising a few days after crashing with Hamilton at the Belgium Grand Prix in August 2014.

"If I'm in front, then I have a right to the track there. He was trying to drive me off the track but I wasn't moving because I have the right to the track there. So he drove into me and that's definitely one step too far."

US Grand Prix, September 2015 after an early clash in a race which Rosberg started in pole but Hamilton won to seal his third world title.

All for one

"They didn't have Lewis Hamilton as a team-mate, those other nine"

Rosberg plays down his chances of a world title after becoming the third driver to win the first three races of the season at the China Grand Prix in Shanghai in April.

Rosberg after an opening lap clash with Hamilton at the Canadian Grand Prix in June which saw the German drop to 10th place at one stage.

"The basic respect is always there, but there will be trouble again I'm sure."

Rosberg talks of his relationship with Hamilton ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix in July.

Formula One world champions after Nico Rosberg won the 2016 title on Sunday (year, driver, nationality, team):</s>Nico Rosberg has been crowned the Formula One world champion after surviving a grandstand finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Rosberg's title rival Lewis Hamilton arrived for the season finale knowing that a victory alone would not be enough to stop his Mercedes team-mate from winning his first title, and so it proved.

Hamilton crossed the line ahead of Rosberg to claim his fourth consecutive victory.

But it is Rosberg, after a hairy exchange with Max Verstappen, a slow first pit stop, and Hamilton backing him into the clutches of the rest of the pack, who has emulated his father Keke - the 1982 title winner - to become the sport's 33rd champion.

Hamilton needed Rosberg to finish outside of the top three to stand any chance of winning the title, and after both of the Mercedes cars made it through turn one without incident, Hamilton's mind soon became occupied on finding a way for the chasing back to get past his rival.

Hamilton was told by his Mercedes team to go faster. On one occasion they asked why he was going so slowly. On another, he was ordered to pick up the pace. Paddy Lowe, Mercedes' technical director, then came on at one point to issue a desperate plea for Hamilton to hurry up, but all of the orders were ignored.

Sebastian Vettel however, failed to find a way around Rosberg as they battled in the closing stages with Max Verstappen one spot further back.

The top four drivers were covered by just 1.6 seconds as they took the chequered flag.

Rosberg performed a series of doughnuts in celebration on the pit straight before leaping out of his Mercedes and kissing the nose of his car. He then picked up Bernie Ecclestone, the sport's 86-year-old chief executive, as he waited in the green room ahead of the podium celebrations.

Speaking from the rostrum, Hamilton said: "I actually feel great. I want to say a big thank you to all of those who came out and supported me. A big congratulations to Nico. His first world championship. Well done, man."

The title rivals then shared a handshake and an embrace before an emotional Rosberg struggled to hold back tears as he spoke.

"That was not the most enjoyable race I have ever had," Rosberg, who revealed his parents would soon be joining him for the celebrations, said. "With those guys coming up at the end, it was not great those last laps.

"I also want to say congrats to Lewis. It is always tough to beat you."

Hamilton, who started from pole, led Rosberg in the opening phase of the race, but the German soon found himself in third after he fell behind Verstappen at the opening round of pit stops.

Verstappen, on a different strategy to his rivals after he spun at the opening turn, was holding Rosberg up. Rosberg was told by his Mercedes team he had to get past Verstappen, and the German did so, on the back straight, on lap 20. It was a perfectly executed move.

When Rosberg enjoyed a trouble-free second pit stop nine laps later, it appeared as though the championship battle was over. But when Hamilton began to slow down in the closing stages, Rosberg was caught initially by Verstappen, and then Vettel, who battled his way past the Red Bull driver, too.

But despite Rosberg and his team's concerns however, he held off both Vettel and Verstappen to finish in second place to win the title.

Elsewhere, Jenson Button's grand prix career ended in bitter disappointment after he was forced to retire.

Button, competing in what he described as "probably" his final race as he makes way for Stoffel Vandoorne at McLaren next season, lasted only 12 laps before he parked his car.

The 36-year-old Englishman ran heavily over a kerb at the Yas Marina Circuit which damaged his front suspension.

Daniel Ricciardo finished fifth for Red Bull with Force India's Nico Hulkenberg in sixth. Felipe Massa ended his final grand prix in ninth.</s>Abu Dhabi (CNN) After the longest season in Formula One's history, Nico Rosberg was crowned world champion Sunday , beating his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton to the title at the final race of the year in Abu Dhabi.

And as the cars roll into the garage for the winter, CNN's Amanda Davies draws her five conclusions from a pulsating 2016 -- on and off the track.

Teammates in Formula One can have a very different meaning to other sports. Especially when it's the two of you battling for a world title.

And after two years of Hamilton winning the world championship, it's the turn of the other side of the garage.

It's Rosberg celebrating becoming the 33rd Formula One world champion. He claimed the title in Abu Dhabi, in a race that summed up his season; he did what he needed to do, when he needed to do it.

Rosberg is a very different driver and a different person to his childhood friend turned current rival Hamilton. But if we were all the same, wouldn't life be boring? F1 is surely no different.

Plenty of people have been in touch with me on Twitter and Instagram saying Nico doesn't deserve it -- Lewis was the worthy champion.

It's hard to argue with the fact that Lewis is the more naturally gifted driver -- both spectacular and serene, demonstrated by his win at the Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo.

His 10 race wins in 2016 is one more than Rosberg managed, a number which in any other campaign would have given him the title. And Hamilton also suffered reliability and engine issues that didn't impact his teammate.

On the flip side, it's hard to begrudge Rosberg this success after years of finishing second best to Hamilton and still coming back for more. In my book, that deserves credit.

He has been dogged, determined and diligent. While Rosberg might not have stunned and made us go "ooh" and "aah," he has battled and fought. His approach in a nutshell, he asked for permission from his team to perform celebratory donuts after the race.

We've known for a little while that Max Verstappen, despite his age, is likely to be a big deal. In Barcelona in May, we got a taste of it.

Rudyard Kipling got it right with the opening line to his famous poem If; "If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs ..." Verstappen did that and then some, going from 16th place with 16 laps to go, to a place on the podium.

This was a drive that had it all. The way he handled the car; his cool "heartbeat went a bit high there" comment over the radio after his fantastic save on the start-finish straight; the confidence and skilled overtaking that saw him move through the field.

It's a performance that will be talked about for years to come. His recovery from a spin in Abu Dhabi and the way he powered back up through the field, confirmed it wasn't just a one off. Surely it won't be long before the 19-year-old turns the tenacious performances into world titles?

While F1 is saying hello to a new world champion, it's also bidding farewell to some old friends.

Daniel Ricciardo told me that he's going to need to find some new buddies in the paddock next season and it's a similar feeling for a lot of F1 fans.

Two of the sports most popular and long-serving drivers hang up their helmets and head into retirement.

Jenson Button and Felipe Massa have over 550 race starts between them. The pit lane's guard of honor for Massa in Sao Paulo is just a small indication of what the Brazilian has meant to the sport.

Everybody in F1 has their opinion about what needs to be done. Bobby Epstein, owner of the US Grand Prix Circuit in Austin, called for more of a year-round marketing strategy. And there's no doubt a number of teams have been looking at the success and growth of Formula E.

And then of course there's Bernie. There's only one Bernie Ecclestone. Of that there is no doubt. He wouldn't want it any other way.

But in the future it's difficult to see just one person doing his job. F1 is a sport that has grown massively under his leadership but there's a whole lot more that can -- needs to be -- done. A whole lot more than can be covered in one brief article. Let's save that for next season.

But in 2017 we start again ...

What we do know is the cars will look different. The front wing will change and so too the tire width. Cars will be harder to drive and also faster, by about five or six seconds.

And as is always the case with major regulation changes, one team will get it right and the rest will be playing catch up.

In many ways we're heading into the unknown. But we do know that the rest will be doing everything they can to end the Mercedes monopoly.

That means, for all their differences this week and this season, Hamilton and Rosberg might need to get back to being teammates in the traditional sense, for a few months at least.

Sharing information, working together to help Mercedes get the best out of their new cars. And with four world titles between them -- and a team that has become virtually unbeatable behind them -- that is a frightening prospect.</s>Lewis Hamilton arrived on the back foot in China following successive victories for Nico Rosberg in Australia and Bahrain. Misery ensued, with the Briton handed a five-place penalty following a gearbox change before an engine failure in qualifying sent him to the back of the grid. Hamilton lost his front wing in a first-corner incident and recovered to finish a poor seventh. Rosberg started from pole and, unchallenged, romped to his third consecutive win to take a commanding lead in the title race.

Another victory for Rosberg in Russia meant he headed to Spain with a 43-point lead over Hamilton. Rosberg, who was attempting to become the second driver in the modern era to claim eight straight wins, passed Hamilton on the run down to turn one, but he fluffed it: an engine setting, incorrectly deployed by the German, enabled Hamilton to narrow the gap to his team-mate at a greater speed. In defending his lead, Rosberg moved to block Hamilton who took to the grass, spun, and then sensationally collided with Rosberg. Both Mercedes cars were out of the race after four corners.

Surprisingly, the fall-out from the Barcelona crash was rather amicable, with Hamilton, Rosberg and their Mercedes team prepared to consider the crash a racing incident. Monaco was up next and Hamilton ended his eight-race losing streak after he pulled off a tactical masterstroke in the rain, as well as benefiting from a disastrous pit-stop mistake by Daniel Ricciardo’s Red Bull team. Rosberg was ordered by Mercedes to move out of Hamilton’s way in the opening phase of the race and could finished seventh.

Hamilton and Rosberg traded victories in Canada and Azerbaijan before heading to Austria for round nine. Rosberg appeared on course to extend his lead in the title race but crashed into Hamilton as the Briton attempted to pass him around the outside of turn two for the lead on the final lap. Hamilton emerged unscathed to win, but Rosberg, who was dealt a 10-second retrospective penalty for his part in the shunt, limped home in fourth. Hamilton then went on a stellar run, winning at Silverstone, Hungary and Germany to take a 19-point lead into the summer break.

Wins for Rosberg followed in Belgium (Hamilton started at the back after a grid penalty for an engine change) and Italy (a poor start by Hamilton) moved the German back into the championship lead. A crushing display over Hamilton in Singapore meant the title protagonists went to Malaysia with Rosberg leading by eight points. Hamilton appeared on course to take back control of the championship as he led in Malaysia, only for his engine to blow up with 15 laps left.

After hinting at foul play from within his own Mercedes team following his engine failure in Malaysia, Hamilton struggled, both on and off the track, in Japan. He fooled around on his phone during a televised press conference, before refusing to take questions from the written media, and then slumping to eighth on the opening lap after a terrible start. While he recovered to finish third, Rosberg led from start to finish to claim his ninth victory of the season to move 33 points clear.

Hamilton looked like a beaten man following his drubbing in Japan, but the Briton returned to his scintillating best at the ensuing double header in the United States and Mexico to deliver two imperious victories over Rosberg. Hamilton then turned in a wet-weather masterclass in Brazil to seal a third consecutive triumph. But Rosberg, despite finishing a distant second in all three of those races, arrived in Abu Dhabi knowing that a top-three finish will be enough to clinch the title.</s>Lewis Hamilton lost out on the Formula One drivers' championship to Nico Rosberg despite winning a tense final race in Abu Dhabi.

Here, we look at how Hamilton lost the title to his Mercedes team-mate.

Hamilton's championship challenge has been plagued by poor getaways. The Briton, who has largely failed to get on top of Mercedes' clutch system this season, was slow off the line in Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Italy and Japan.

Indeed in those five outings, Hamilton lost a combined total of 25 places on the opening laps. His nadir came at the Japanese Grand Prix where he dropped from second to eighth in one fell swoop in a race which Rosberg utterly dominated.

While Rosberg has enjoyed a trouble-free campaign, Hamilton has been on the receiving end of some rather bad luck. In China he was unable to post a qualifying lap following an engine problem. He started last and recovered to finish seventh.

At the next round in Russia, another engine failure in qualifying restricted him to 10th on the grid. Hamilton also suffered an engine mode problem during the European Grand Prix and finished fifth. Rosberg won all three of those races. Hamilton was set to take the lead of the championship at October's Malaysian Grand Prix only for his engine to blow up with 15 laps remaining.

Hamilton courted criticism following the Russian Grand Prix when he uploaded a number of videos to Snapchat as he partied in Miami. In one, Hamilton, was smoking what appeared to be a shisha pipe. In another, he was seen dancing while sipping from a bottle of liqueur.

Following his engine failure in Malaysia, Hamilton arrived at the next race in Japan in a peculiar mood. He fooled around on Snapchat during a televised press conference, and then refused to take questions from the written media. Rosberg went on to win the race - and take a 33-point lead in the championship - as Hamilton finished only third.

Hamilton crushed Rosberg en route to sealing his third world title last year, but the Briton has not enjoyed the same dominance over his Mercedes team-mate this season. While the German has lucked-in at a number of races following Hamilton's reliability issues and slow starts, he has also raised his game, too.

Rosberg got off to a flying start - winning the opening four rounds of the season - before delivering two crushing displays over Hamilton in Singapore and Japan. He has also toughened up this season - not giving an inch to Hamilton in their collisions in Spain, Canada and Austria - and has also refused to be drawn into the psychological warfare of previous seasons.
In motor sport, Nico Rosberg wins the 2016 Drivers Championship finishing five points ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton. It is Rosberg's first Formula One title.