Rosberg: the fastest

Nico Rosberg has earned himself a place in the record books by becoming only the third driver to record the fastest lap on his World Championship grand prix debut not including Giuseppe Farina, who set fastest lap in the first ever points-paying race, at Silverstone in 1950.

Rosberg’s charge to seventh in the Bahrain GP came after he had to pit for a new nose at the end of the first lap, and despite the Williams team severely restricting his practice mileage to protect his Cosworth V8. “I just went for it the whole race.” he said “The car was good and I was enjoying myself.”

The other two drivers to achieve the feat are Masahiro Hasemi, in the unusual conditions of the1976 Japanese GP, and Jacques Villeneuve, who achieved both fastest lap and pole in Australia in1996.