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The 2014 title battle between Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, the Mercedes drivers, has officially turned nasty.

After the suspicions, claims and counter-claims surrounding Rosberg's off-track excursion in the dying seconds of qualifying for May's Monaco Grand Prix, the first real sign of inter-team dynamics turning sour at Mercedes, things became a little more blatant during Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix.

Races are running out, time is ticking by, and the Silver Arrows drivers are no longer just scoring points to consolidate or improve their championship positions—they're scoring points against each other.

Their job, aside from winning races and recording podium finishes, is to act as an irritant to the man on the opposite side of the garage; to land a few cheap shots, to distract him and starve him of opportunities to gain the initiative.

Hamilton is arguably the most practiced of any driver in this style of warfare.

The 2008 world champion, prior to the Monaco weekend, told the official Formula One website that his relatively modest background in contrast to Rosberg's made him "hungrier" to succeed.

Ahead of Rosberg's home race at Hockenheim, Germany, meanwhile, Hamilton explained to Paul Weaver of The Guardian that his teammate was "not really German."

And you know what? Rosberg went on to win both those races.

A change of approach, then, was perhaps inevitable for Hamilton, who literally did his talking on the track at the halfway stage of the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The British driver, who with medium tyres fitted to his car was not planning to stop again, found himself ahead of a charging Rosberg, who had softer rubber and therefore one more trip to the pit lane to make, on Lap 46 of 70.

Hamilton, to make Rosberg's strategy work, was instructed via team radio to put up little resistance to his teammate's advances but, according to Sky Sports' Pete Gill, offered the reply: "I'm not slowing down for Nico. Get close and then he can overtake me."

He remained true to his word, keeping the German at arm's length for 10 laps—over which time Rosberg lapped consistently around a second slower than he previously had, according to the FIA's timing information—before the No. 6 car pitted for the final time on Lap 56.

Considering that Rosberg, according to the official F1 website, finished the race in fourth, only 6.3 seconds behind race winner Daniel Ricciardo, each of those seconds lost staring at Hamilton's gearbox were vital and could ultimately prove to be title-deciding ones.

For Hamilton, though, his stubborn—perhaps unprofessional—defiance had worked a treat.

Not only had he denied his teammate a potential fifth victory of the season, he ensured that he finished ahead of Rosberg, cutting the German's championship lead from 14 points to 11.

The slight erosion of Rosberg's advantage, though, was not achieved without a rather questionable defensive manoeuvre on the final lap.

Hamilton, slow on the exit of Turn 1 with 30-lap-old tyres, was under severe pressure from Rosberg heading toward the final genuine overtaking spot of the Hungaroring track.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzXFCiy-Mnc

Rosberg, like Ricciardo a matter of minutes earlier, took the outside line for Turn 2 and held it, finding traction before Hamilton edged across and ran his teammate out of road—to the point where the German dipped his front-right wheels on the grass, which would have been treacherously damp after the heavy pre-race rain shower.

Hamilton's conduct while fighting Rosberg at the Hungaroring was, more than anything else, a reflection of how tensions between the long-term friends have escalated over the course of the campaign.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm5bJMOm2xM

Their battle in the Bahrain Grand Prix at the beginning of the season, for instance, was defined by its respectful, sporting nature, with both drivers leaving enough room for each other to ensure the wheel-to-wheel action lasted for an extended period of time.

But now?

Now the adrenaline has taken over. Now there is an urgency. Now there is an impatience, an intolerance, a selfishness.

There is little consideration for the wishes of their employers or the welfare of one another. The sense of enjoyment has been replaced by the need to succeed.

It's beginning to get personal between Hamilton and Rosberg—and we still have eight rounds to go.

The qualifying gods, it is fair to assume, have something against Lewis Hamilton at the moment.

After a scintillating start to the season which saw the Mercedes driver record four pole positions in the opening five races, the 2008 world champion has recently been unable to catch a break in his battle with Nico Rosberg, his teammate.

The momentum, despite a well-timed win on home soil at Silverstone earlier this month, is firmly with Rosberg, the championship leader, who has embarked on a decent run of his own.

Since Hamilton's last pole at the Spanish Grand Prix, the German has scored five poles in six events, with the latest secured at this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix, the last race before Formula One's traditional summer break.

Although Rosberg managed to weather to the storm and cling tightly to the coattails of Hamilton in the midst of the British driver's streak of pole positions—with a lowest starting position of fourth in China—Hamilton has been unable to do the same.

Since the Canadian Grand Prix on June 8, the last time Hamilton began a race from the front row of the grid, the No. 44 car has failed to start from within the top five.

The events of qualifying day at following race, the Austrian Grand Prix, which the 29-year-old started from ninth, have proven to be much more than a simple one-off, a freak result.

Hamilton appears to be stuck in a rut of cruel luck and slight, niggling mishaps which have cast a shadow over a season that, as long ago as the day he joined the team at the beginning of 2013, was always thought to be his year, his time.

The controversial Q3 session at Monaco, which saw Rosberg run wide, bring out the yellow flags and therefore deny Hamilton a late shot at pole, has had a larger effect than initially thought, with the British driver shaken out of his rhythm and seemingly unable to regain it.

The signs were there as long ago as Canada, where the 2008 world champion made a mistake on his final run. 

And although second on the grid to Rosberg by a margin of just one tenth of a second, according to the official Formula One website, was by no means a poor result, this was Lewis Hamilton at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, the track where he took his first Formula One victory and where he often finds himself in a class of his own.

His retirement the following day was almost fitting, adding insult to injury on a weekend where his air of invincibility was lost.

Hamilton became a victim of the FIA's clampdown on drivers exploiting track limits at the Red Bull Ring, having his opening Q3 lap disallowed after running wide on the exit of the penultimate corner.

His final run, of course, was marred with a lock-up and spin under braking for Turn 2 at the Austrian circuit.

If his mistake in the Styrian mountains told the story of a driver struggling under pressure, Hamilton's qualifying performance at the British Grand Prix was even more revealing in terms of his mindset.

The 2008 world champion's decision to abort his final run on a drying track, even though provisional pole was in his pocket at the time, was totally out of character for a man who prides himself on his racing instinct and his willingness to compete ferociously until the bitter end. 

His victory from sixth on the grid the following day papered over the qualifying crack convincingly marked the end of Hamilton's run of unforced errors—but heralded the beginning of the mechanical failures at crucial times.

Hamilton's front-right brake failure at Hockenheim last week left him with yet another recovery job on his hands from 15th on the grid, with the Briton surging to third place in the race.

However, his latest technical problem—an oil leak, according to Mercedes' official Twitter profile—at the Hungaroring, another "Hamilton-drome," is unlikely to be followed by a similar resurgence from a pit lane start.

Unlike the Hockenheimring, the home of the Hungarian Grand Prix fails to encourage overtaking in normal conditions, with its largely dusty track surface, its tight and twisty corners and its lack of heavy braking zones meaning any pass is a high-risk one.

And considering that his progress through the field in Germany was hindered by contact with two fellow world champions, Kimi Raikkonen and Jenson Button, the chances of Hamilton gaining anything meaningful from the race are slim.

Hamilton himself admitted this was the case, with the Mercedes driver quoted by Pete Gill and Mike Wise of Sky Sports as stating: "This is a track that you cannot overtake on so I think I will struggle to get in the top 10 tomorrow or at least the top five."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dp4bfG0B6Sk

Unlike the German Grand Prix, Hamilton will be in true damage limitation mode during the Budapest race, after which Rosberg, provided his car avoids technical tribulations, is likely to hold a lead of almost 40 points—nearly the equivalent of two race wins—over his teammate in the drivers' standings.

The summer break, with that in mind, will come at an ideal time for Hamilton, offering him a chance to escape the furnace of the title battle and reflect on his season so far with a clear frame of mind.

His bad luck, you have to presume, is due to expire, and with memories of Sebastian Vettel's season-ending winning streak of nine races in 2013 still relatively fresh in the mind, Hamilton must return to action at Spa next month unwilling to give the slightest advantage to Rosberg.

Forget the Hungarian Grand Prix—the next four weeks could define Hamilton's season and his career.

There are good weeks and there are good weeks.

For Nico Rosberg, the Mercedes driver and still the leader of the Formula One drivers' standings, the last nine days or so could not have been any better.

The German married his long-term girlfriend, Vivian Sibold, last Friday before watching his nation win the FIFA World Cup with a 1-0 victory over Argentina two days later.

His "multi-year contract extension" with the Silver Arrows was signed and sealed the following day, with Rosberg following that up by securing an ultimately comfortable pole position at his home race at Hockenheim on a Saturday which saw Lewis Hamilton, his closest rival, chained towards the rear of the grid after a crash in qualifying. 

The 29-year-old's win for the first time in his homeland on Sunday was merely the cherry on the top.

And at risk of upsetting the new Mrs Rosberg as well as the German football team—Lukas Podolski, the Arsenal forward, was actually in attendance to cheer his compatriot on at Hockenheim—it was arguably the most important development of the week.

After a British Grand Prix weekend which saw Rosberg suffer his first retirement of the campaign, slicing his advantage over Hamilton—who inherited the lead and went on to win at Silverstone—from a margin of 29 points to just four, he needed a weekend like this.

A weekend alone, a weekend under the radar.

In many respects, the German Grand Prix was not your typical Rosberg weekend—it was akin to one enjoyed by Sebastian Vettel over the last four years.

With his nearest rivals (in theory) either encountering problems or just lacking the pace to challenge, Rosberg was able to capitalise on his pole position and disappear into the distance—putting the result beyond doubt as early as possible—as those behind fought amongst themselves for scraps.

The Mercedes driver's setting of his fastest lap on the final lap of the grand prix, according to the official Formula One website, was particularly Vettel-esque, with Rosberg underlining his dominance and emphasising his comfort at the front.

Psychologically, Rosberg's return to the top step of the podium immediately after Hamilton's win at Silverstone was crucial, with the Hungarian Grand Prix—one of the British driver's favoured events—only seven days away.

If, as widely predicted ahead of the Hockenheim weekend, Hamilton had returned to the level of performance which cast Rosberg into the dreaded No. 2 role between the Malaysian and Spanish grands prix, the German might have found the title rapidly slipping out of his grasp.

An instant response to what was at the time considered a turning point in the championship battle was desperately required.

And Rosberg delivered, stifling any post-Silverstone momentum on the opposite side of the garage, while providing a reminder of his own qualities and title credentials—two areas where you feel he continues to be underestimated, despite having now recorded his fourth win of the campaign.

This was arguably the sweetest yet, with Rosberg quoted by the official F1 website as stating:

Wow, what a great day after so many great events for me this week! I came here hoping for a win and it worked out perfectly. My Silver Arrow was so dominant, thanks to the team for this fantastic car.

I'm so happy for Mercedes; it was the first win for many many years in Germany. Thanks for the support here at Hockenheim, the fans were amazing to me. Also at the start I saw a Mexican wave, which was great. Now I look forward to Hungary.

A win on home soil would normally be the highlight of a Formula One driver's career, perhaps even his life—but as Rosberg said in the FIA post-race press conference, it wasn't even the highlight of his week.

Proof, if it were needed, that he is in a good place at the moment.

What a disastrous result it was for Lewis Hamilton in qualifying for the German Grand Prix.

Less than two weeks after his stunning victory at the British Grand Prix, arguably the most important win of his Formula One career, he will line up in 15th position (due to Esteban Gutierrez's grid penalty) after a crash in the latter stages of Q1 at Hockenheim.

It must be a bitter pill to swallow for Hamilton, whose win at Silverstone a fortnight ago seemed to carry all the hallmarks of a pivotal moment in the 2014 title battle, with the British driver slicing the points advantage of championship leader Nico Rosberg, his Mercedes teammate, from 29 to four.

Hamilton, it was widely thought, would—with the memories of the niggles, the slight errors, which blighted his success in recent events now banished—return to the form which saw him enjoy a career-best winning streak of four consecutive races earlier this season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIY7semTnRk

But a brake failure, which led to him spinning and crashing hard into the barrier at the Turn 13 hairpin, has seen any momentum evaporate once again and left Hamilton—always doing it the hard way, always chasing—with yet another recovery job on his hands.

Yet it would be foolish to view Hamilton's crash, and Rosberg's pole position for the German Grand Prix, as the latest turning point of 2014.

Despite being set to start from the eighth row of the grid, the podium remains well within the 2008 world champion's reach at Hockenheim.

The dominance of Mercedes' W05 car, which has won all but one race this year, as well as a circuit that features at least two genuine overtaking spots, means Hamilton, perhaps the finest passer in F1, should comfortably pick off those who stand between him and Rosberg—and perhaps even Rosberg himself, depending on the speed of his progress—over the course of the 67-lap grand prix.

Hamilton has a good recent history of coming through the field, of course, charging from ninth to fourth on the the very first lap of last month's Austrian Grand Prix.

The 29-year-old went on to finish a close second to Rosberg at the Red Bull Ring, transforming a weekend of potential underachievement to a weekend of, well, achievement.

His win at Silverstone last time out, meanwhile, came only 24 hours after Hamilton had qualified in sixth, after slowing his pace at the start of his final qualifying lap on a drying track in the belief that he could not go faster.

The knowledge that Mercedes can claim a positive result from almost any position must surely give the Silver Arrows, Rosberg and Hamilton a psychological edge and perhaps even allow them to plan their race as normal, regardless of their starting position.

That, you see, is one of the less obvious benefits of having the fastest car on the Formula One grid by a large distance: you are not sufficiently penalised for your frailties and mistakes.

In years gone by, Hamilton's best hope from 15th on the grid at Hockenheim would have been a solid points finish, maybe in fifth or sixth position.

But in 2014, with the rocket that is the Mercedes V6 turbo power unit sitting in his car, a podium place is not just a fanciful prospect—it is the minimum requirement.  

The situation facing Hamilton in the German Grand Prix, in fact, is not entirely dissimilar to that encountered by Sebastian Vettel in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix of 2012.

Vettel qualified third at the Yas Marina circuit, but was relegated to the rear of the field after his car ran out of fuel on his in-lap and elected to start from the pit lane.

His drive to third by the chequered flag was lauded as a heroic champion's drive but, with Vettel comfortably winning each of the previous four races, it was a result that was always plausible.

And that is what Hamilton must replicate at Hockenheim: to surprise everyone whilst surprising no one. 

The effect on Hamilton's mindset if he were to stand on the German Grand Prix podium would arguably be greater than that of the race in Britain, where he absorbed the energy and the emotion of the home crowd.

And that would be nothing compared to the effect on Rosberg, whom after beating his teammate in three straight races in recent months would suddenly find himself taking on a resurgent, unstoppable force.

Rosberg is almost certain to leave Hockenheim with an extended lead in the drivers' standings—but it is Hamilton who has the most to gain from the German Grand Prix.

Nico Rosberg's gearbox failure midway through Sunday's British Grand Prix handed victory to his teammate and championship rival, Lewis Hamilton. It was Hamilton's second victory at his home race, delighting the large crowd of heavily partisan supporters at Silverstone.

More importantly, though—particularly for non-Brits—Hamilton's victory combined with Rosberg's retirement means the Drivers' Championship is once again wide open.

Following Rosberg's victory in Austria two weeks ago—his third-straight finish ahead of Hamilton—he had opened a 29-point gap in the championship table and looked like a heavy favourite to take the crown. In the span of one race, that has all changed.

Prior to this weekend, Rosberg's car had seemed bulletproof. While Hamilton had suffered DNFs in Australia and Canada, Rosberg had finished first or second at every grand prix. Even in Montreal, where both Mercedes had the same Energy Recovery System issue, Rosberg had still nursed his car home second.

We now know that his invincibility was just an illusion. And Rosberg's retirement is exactly what this season needed. Mercedes is already running away with the Constructors' Championship and Rosberg was in danger of doing the same with the Drivers' title.

"You never want to see a team-mate fall behind, we wanted to really work and get those one-twos," Hamilton said during the post-race podium interview, "but at the end of the day I really needed this result so I’m very grateful for it."

Had Rosberg won at Silverstone, even with Hamilton second, his lead would have been extended to 36 points. Instead, it is down to four and this season is continuing on a similar trajectory to 1988. That year, McLaren teammates Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost won every race but one and fought back and forth all season before the Brazilian eventually claimed that title.

If there is anything that can kill interest in an F1 season, it is an uncompetitive championship. When Sebastian Vettel won the last nine races of the 2013 season, viewership numbers plummeted (although some of the drop can be explained by the shift away from free-to-air broadcasters).

In the 2013 F1 Global Media Report (via Autosport), CEO Bernie Ecclestone wrote that: "The less-than-competitive nature of the final few rounds, culminating in the championship being decided ahead of the races in the USA and Brazil, events which often bring substantial audiences, had a predictable impact on reach."

This year, the battle between the two Mercedes drivers—on and off the track—has been fascinating. It is in the best interests of fans, sponsors and pretty much everyone else involved in the sport that it continue for the rest of the season.

The problem with Rosberg's gearbox should also provide a psychological boost to Hamilton. Until this weekend, nearly everything that had gone wrong at Mercedes this year—from slow pit stops to retirements—had happened to him. Now, Rosberg has had a taste of the frustration Hamilton felt after Melbourne and Montreal.

Hamilton will also be encouraged by the knowledge that he probably had the pace to beat Rosberg even if the German had not retired. Following the race, per the Mercedes website, Hamilton said, "After extending my first stint, we switched to the prime tyres and I honestly couldn't believe the pace that I had and was closing up to Nico."

Even in the first stint, after Rosberg had opened a lead of 5.783 seconds on Lap 9 according to the FIA's timing stats, Hamilton closed the gap to under three seconds by the time Rosberg made his first stop, on Lap 18.

In the end, Hamilton did not need to pass his teammate on track, but that will not make the victory any less sweet. Halfway through the season, the title race is basically starting from scratch. "We’ll draw a line under the last nine races and now it’s attack mode, start again," the Brit said in the post-race press conference.

If the second half of the season is as entertaining as the first, we are all in for a real treat.

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When a Formula One driver recovers from a qualifying position of ninth to finish second the following day, as Lewis Hamilton did in last weekend's Austrian Grand Prix, it cannot be considered anything else but a truly fantastic result.

The 2008 world champion drove admirably, overtaking five cars on the first lap alone to effectively render his poor performance on Saturday irrelevant.

Hamilton's recovery, in fact, was so impressive that he—according to the official F1 website—crossed the finish line a mere 1.9 seconds adrift of the race winner, his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg.

But there lies Hamilton's problem: The 1.9 seconds which saw him miss out on his first race victory in more than a month was the exact margin by which he lost out to Rosberg in his two pit stops over the course of the race at the Red Bull Ring.

A difference of 1.9 seconds led to Hamilton departing Austria with only 18 points, rather than 25.

A difference of 1.9 seconds led to him facing a 29-point deficit to Rosberg in the drivers' championship, rather than a 15-point gap.

A difference of 1.9 seconds was the difference between a truly fantastic result and a potentially decisive one in Hamilton's favour.

Pit stops have slightly lost their importance in recent years as Formula One has embraced devices and gimmicks such as DRS and KERS.

In 2014, however, with Rosberg and Hamilton so closely matched and driving equal cars on track, the men in the garage have rediscovered their sense of purpose and have regained the chance to make the difference, win races and ultimately the championship for their drivers.

But Hamilton, you suspect, has never had complete faith in his mechanics' competence this season.

Hamilton's mid-race rebuke of his Mercedes mechanics over team radio in Monaco for failing to call him into the pits just before the safety car was deployed was the first tell-tale sign of his displeasure, before his admission to Pete Gill of Sky Sports in Austria that it was "frustrating" and "tough" to lose vital seconds in the pit lane after doing such a good job on the circuit.

And the 29-year-old's unhappiness is justified, with a trend appearing in Mercedes' stops.

Of the six pit stops in the three races where Rosberg and Hamilton have been inseparable come the chequered flag—in Bahrain, Spain and Austria—the latter has enjoyed a quicker stop than his teammate on only one occasion.

And the advantage taken from that instance, Hamilton's first stop in Bahrain, was minimised due to the intervention of a late safety car for the crash between Pastor Maldonado and Esteban Gutierrez, which led to Mercedes employing the "double shuffle" technique, making the second pit stop times for both Rosberg and Hamilton meaningless. 

Hamilton's opening stop at the Sakhir International Circuit was, according to the FIA's televised live feed, two-tenths of a second faster than that of Rosberg.

Meanwhile, the smallest advantage Rosberg enjoyed in the pit lane in Spain and Austria was nine-tenths of a second, as per the FIA TV feed, which was achieved during the first round of stops at the Red Bull Ring and highlights just how much the German has benefited from visiting his mechanics in contrast to Hamilton. 

Even in the Spanish Grand Prix, which Hamilton eventually won by 0.6 seconds according to the official F1 website, the FIA's pit-stop summary recorded the duration of Hamilton's first stop—from the moment he entered the pit lane until the millisecond he deactivated the pit limiter—at 22.951 seconds, while Rosberg's was almost seven-tenths quicker.

And when Hamilton departed the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya's pit lane for the final time in the Spanish race, the duration of the 2008 world champion's stop was found to have lasted 1.281 seconds longer than his teammate's.

Although both drivers were on different strategies in that race, Hamilton's mechanics contributed heavily to transforming what could have been a relatively comfortable race win to what turned out to be a nail-biter, with Hamilton hanging on for dear life by the end of the grand prix.

The failure of the Mercedes mechanics to replicate their performance with both drivers is not, it should be said, down to any inter-team favouritism—but there are some compelling theories over just why Rosberg has been able to find so much time in the pit lane.

There is, for example, the idea that Mercedes have, for much of this season, not been required to push to the absolute limit.

The comfortable advantage that their dominant W05 car has over the rest of the field has provided their mechanics with the luxury of taking their time during pit stops, making sure every wheel nut is fitted and tightened—and tightened some more just to be on the safe side—before sending their driver on his way once more.

This level of caution is understandable given the manufacturer's failure to challenge for world championships since their return to the sport at the beginning of 2010 and their desire to fully capitalise on their superiority while it exists.

That lack of match fitness and sharpness, however, has perhaps prevented the Mercedes mechanics from performing consistently in racing conditions.

The alternative, and far more likely, explanation for their tardiness is the positioning of both cars in the pit box itself.

Hamilton himself was quoted by Pete Gill of Sky Sports in Austria as referring to the angle at which he arrived in the box as a potential reason for his slow stops, and Rosberg has a history of making his mechanics' lives easier.

While leading the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Rosberg—according to F1 Fanatic's team radio transcript—informed Mercedes' Tony Ross:

Move the pit box in front out of the way. And I’m going to come in at an angle. I’m going to position myself at an angle to drive out more easily.

His radio message at Albert Park confirmed Rosberg's reputation as a thinking driver and implied that the German has almost certainly identified pit stops as opportunities to gain the upper hand over his teammate this season.

After all, could you imagine Hamilton weighing up in his mind the benefits of arriving in the pit box at an angle as he motors at 180mph down Silverstone's Hangar Straight? 

Despite the theory that Rosberg is mastering the art of pit stops, there is no way that a driver can gain an advantage in excess of half a second just by positioning his car in a certain way.

The only plausible conclusion one can reach from such a large difference in times is that Hamilton's mechanics, for one reason or another, are letting their driver down.

Although he has got off lightly so far, holding on to take two wins in spite of his team's failure to deliver their side of the bargain, this trend, if it continues, could end up costing Hamilton so much more than a couple of seconds.

And what a shame it would be if a championship battle brimming with close, exciting racing were to be decided in the pit lane.

The game plan is working.

Nico Rosberg was never expected, and perhaps was never expecting, to defeat Lewis Hamilton, his Mercedes teammate, to the 2014 world championship on pace alone.

Who, after all—apart from Sebastian Vettel—can hold a candle to Hamilton in terms of absolute, unadulterated speed behind the wheel of a Formula One car?

No—Rosberg, rather than fighting fire with fire, had to sneak round the back. He had to go overground. He had to go underground.

Tactical nous, a pragmatic intellect and an interest in engineering would all be vital parts of Rosberg's armoury in his year-long fight with Hamilton.

Following the Austrian Grand Prix, Rosberg now has a 29-point lead over his teammate in the drivers' standings.

And with three pole positions to his name already, his natural pace isn't too shabby either.

Ahead of the race weekend at the Red Bull Ring, Rosberg himself discussed the importance of a psychological advantage in the title race, explaining the importance of his return to the top step of the podium in last month's Monaco Grand Prix, which ended Hamilton's career-best four-race winning streak.

The German was quoted by BBC Sport as stating:

It was really important to bring that run to an end because psychology is a big part of sports.

If you have those results behind you, like I do now, it gives you that little bit extra, that little bit of an edge, so it does help.

Given the run of form of Hamilton and Rosberg in the two races since the grand prix on the French Riviera, the Monaco Grand Prix—and particularly the controversial events of that qualifying session—now appears to have been something of a psychological turning point for both Mercedes drivers.

For Rosberg, that pole position in Monaco—despite its unfortunate circumstances—represented the German not only stemming the flow of Hamilton's domination between the Malaysian and Spanish Grands Prix, but a regaining of his confidence.

His displeasure at being beaten by Hamilton in four consecutive races was ever clearer as each race weekend ticked by, but a front row start at Monaco, the circuit with the fewest overtaking opportunities on the entire F1 calendar, gave Rosberg the chance to beat his teammate in a truly head-to-head battle for the first time in 2014.

The comfort with which Rosberg dealt with the relentless charge of Hamilton, who was still angered by the events of the previous 24 hours, around the tight and twisty streets for around two-thirds of the Monaco Grand Prix only aided his resurgence.

The two-week gap which separated the Monte Carlo and Canadian races was a disadvantage for Hamilton, who would arguably have been more suited to responding immediately to the bitterness of the Monaco weekend with little time to reflect and reconsider.

As it turned out, however, Hamilton did reflect and reconsider, offering an olive branch to Rosberg via Twitter nine days prior to the next race at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Did this hullabaloo distract or even soften Hamilton ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix?

Possibly, but the lock-up halfway around his qualifying lap was an uncharacteristic mistake by the 2008 world champion at a circuit where he usually thrives.

And although his retirement the following day was unfortunate, Rosberg's ability to manage a technical problem which Hamilton in the same car could not only backed theories that the German's methodical approach would ultimately allow him to triumph.

The Austrian Grand Prix, though, was anyone's race as far as the Mercedes drivers were concerned.

As a new circuit on the calendar, the key to the weekend sat with the driver who adapted quickest to the Red Bull Ring, and then use that to their advantage when it really mattered.

To Hamilton's credit, he seemed to have a strong grip of the circuit, with the official F1 website recording the British driver as faster than Rosberg in both Q1 and Q2.

Like Rosberg in qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix, however, Hamilton could not carry his early advantage into Q3, running wide at Turn 8 on his first run—which led to the time being deleted—before spinning at Turn 2 on his last lap while trying to make amends.

From that moment, the race weekend became a wasted opportunity, a damage limitation exercise instead of a chance to erode Rosberg's championship lead.

Although Hamilton battled through the pack on the first lap to eventually finish second to Rosberg, there is a worrying trend appearing in Hamilton's qualifying performances.

The 29-year-old's failure to utilise his first run in Q3 was shunned into the background in Monaco after Rosberg's infamous off-track excursion at the Mirabeau corner, but has since appeared to grow into a habit.

The psychological risks of this are clear, with Hamilton perhaps putting himself under too much pressure to record a strong initial baseline ahead of his final Q3 lap. And when he fails to achieve that banker lap, the pressure is only increased for his final effort as the clock ticks down and the inevitable mistakes occur.

Hamilton has recently lost the fluidity and effortlessness in his approach as well as his driving style—but credit must go to Rosberg for rattling his Mercedes partner.

In addition to the psychological edge, Rosberg now has the largest numerical advantage that either Mercedes driver has enjoyed so far this season.

Rosberg's 29-point advantage is such that even if he were to retire from the next race at Silverstone with Hamilton winning on home soil, the German would still lead the drivers' championship—and that alone can carry its own psychological effects.

Although, with over half of the season remaining, it is far too early to claim that Rosberg already has one hand on the crown, he is arguably in a better position than even he could have hoped for at this stage of the campaign.

The game plan is working.

Nico Rosberg won the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday for his third victory of the season. Even more importantly, though, it was his third straight finish ahead of his Mercedes teammate, Lewis Hamilton.

Rosberg is now 29 points ahead of the 2008 world champion in the Drivers' standings and the clear favourite to win his first title—just ask the bookmakers. According to Oddschecker, the German is better than even money to come out on top in what has become a two-way race between the Mercedes drivers.

For most of the year, I have been unwilling to concede that Rosberg could beat Hamilton over a full season, and I still think the Brit is the more talented driver. But Rosberg's lead, now nearly halfway through the season, cannot be ignored anymore. Nor can it be attributed solely to bad luck or subterfuge.

Yes, Hamilton has been unlucky in suffering the only two retirements Mercedes has had this year, but Rosberg had the same issue in Canada and still managed to finish second in the race.

Right now, Hamilton would need to win five races in a row (with Rosberg finishing second) to retake the lead in the championship. And if Rosberg won the sixth race in that hypothetical sequence, he would be back in front.

Of course, one Rosberg DNF coupled with a win for Hamilton would blow the title race wide open again. And who knows what will happen with double points awarded at the last race of the season in Abu Dhabi?

But Hamilton cannot count on double points and non-finishes for his teammate if he wants to add a second world championship to his resume. While a malfunctioning Energy Recovery System might be beyond his control, spinning on a qualifying hot lap certainly is not.

Likewise, he cannot allow himself to become frustrated with Rosberg's advantage, as he did in Monaco. Rather, Hamilton needs to block out the distractions and focus on winning races. He was able to do that effectively during the four-race stretch from Malaysia to Spain, which allowed him to eliminate the 25-point gap Rosberg had opened following the Brit's retirement in Australia.

Rosberg, on the other hand, does not need to change anything about his approach. His season has been all about consistency—he has finished first or second in every race—and it is paying off.

Hamilton has still won more races than his German teammate, four to three, but Rosberg is dominating in the championship. Under the current scoring system, with the value of a victory so diluted, winning does not matter as much as finishing consistently.

Just look at Fernando Alonso, who is fourth in the Drivers' standings, only four points out of third, despite an average finishing position outside the top five this year—but he has scored at every grand prix.

So has Rosberg, and if he can keep that record up, there is no reason to believe Hamilton can overtake him. But the German is not thinking that far ahead.

Predictably, perhaps, at the FIA press conference following his win in Austria, Rosberg said, "I really like to concentrate on each weekend and keep on trying to make the most of them and enjoying the moment, also with the car that we have. ... So I’m more taking it step-by-step and every weekend my aim is to extend the championship lead which I managed to do this weekend."

While it may sound cliche, that approach is working so far for Rosberg, and he has no need to alter it. 

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It took seven races, but at the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday a driver from a team other than Mercedes finally won.

Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo took the chequered flag for the first victory of his Formula One career. Mercedes' Nico Rosberg was second, while his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, retired with a rear brake failure.

Previously, Mercedes had been unbeatable in 2014, with the only blemish on their perfect season coming when Hamilton retired from the first race in Australia. 

In Montreal before the race, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said, "In 2012 when we had a difficult start, we managed to turn that situation around and get ourselves back into that championship," per the Press Association's Ian Parkes via the Daily Mail.

"The task here is certainly bigger than that," Horner continued, "but nobody is giving up on anything."

Despite the Red Bull boss's optimism, Ricciardo's surprising result at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve does not mark a turning point in Mercedes' dominance this year.

As the Silver Arrows demonstrated in qualifying and for the first half of the race, they are still lapping the field—literally, in many cases.

After the Monaco Grand Prix in May, where Mercedes scored their fifth-straight one-two finish, Sebastian Vettel said of the championship that, "Mathematically we are right in there," according to Gerhard Kuntschik and Jonathan Noble of Autosport.

But let's look at the math.

Even taking into account Ricciardo's victory and Vettel's third-place finish in Canada, Red Bull is still 119 points behind Mercedes in the Constructors' Championship. Even if the Bulls averaged a first- and third-place result at each of the season's 12 remaining races and we gave Mercedes an average of second and fourth, Red Bull would only win the championship by one point.

That is not going to happen. I wrote as early as the Malaysian Grand Prix that Red Bull has the second-best car on the grid, and that has not changed. They, or another team, may steal a few more races if Mercedes experiences more reliability issues, but no one is going to steal either of the championships.

Rosberg still finished second in Montreal, even without his Energy Recovery System (ERS) for half the race, which caused his brakes to overheat. One illustration of the gap that still exists from Mercedes to the rest of the field comes from the fastest laps each driver set during the race.

As usual, most drivers recorded their best laps near the end of the race, when their cars had almost no fuel remaining to weigh them down. Rosberg set the seventh-fastest lap and Hamilton the ninth, according to the FIA's timing data, but they did it before the halfway point (when their ERS was still functioning) with about twice as much fuel as the cars that set faster laps.

Next on the calendar is the Austrian Grand Prix. It is Red Bull's home race—in fact, the energy drink company owns the circuit—but it is another high-speed track, which bodes well for Mercedes.

Gremlins can strike at any time, particularly as the new power units do not yet have the reliability of their predecessors, but the Silver Arrows will still be the firm favourites.

Ricciardo's victory at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve has revitalised Red Bull and breathed new life into the season, but it has not changed the outlook for the championship. Something drastic would need to happen for Mercedes not to walk away with both titles in Abu Dhabi—or much sooner.

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When Lewis Hamilton returned to the pit lane to retire from the Canadian Grand Prix, all eyes turned towards Nico Rosberg.

And quite right, too: So far in 2014, when one Mercedes driver has encountered problems—due to either technical malfunctions or driver error—the other has picked up the pieces, knuckled down and qualified on pole or won the race.

But this time it was different.

For the first time in 2014, Mercedes, the comprehensive victors of each of the opening six grands prix of the season, were on the rocks.

The loss of power suffered by Hamilton, which ultimately led to the 2008 world champion's race-ending rear brake failure after 45 laps, was also harming Rosberg.

The wizards perched upon the Mercedes pit wall and in the rear of the garage, those who had seemed to be in a state of perpetual relaxation since the beginning of the year, were now hunched over their screens of data.

At this stage, the best that the Silver Arrows could have hoped for was a top-10 finish, to leave the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve that night with something, anything in the bag in terms of points.

At worst, the Formula One Management television feed would within seconds cut to a shot of the No. 6 Mercedes trundling to a halt beside the race track with smoke escaping from its rear end, leaving its driver with a long walk back to the pits along the Bassin olympique. 

A weekend that, in theory, was set to be the team's most dominant of the season was about to become the darkest of blots on the copybook.

The inevitable breakdown, however, never arrived. 

The demise of Rosberg's MGU-K device somehow failed to take the German with it. And it wasn't until the 68th of the race's 70 laps that he surrendered the lead to Daniel Ricciardo, the Red Bull driver who went on to take his maiden victory in Formula One. 

Rosberg's second place finish, though—despite the end of Mercedes' winning streak and with it their chance to topple McLaren's 1988 campaign as the most dominant in F1 history—is surely the biggest of mini-victories.

The 28-year-old himself acknowledged it as a potential pivotal day in his title tussle with Hamilton, and was quoted by Jonathan Noble and Matt Beer of Autosport as stating: 

When you lose ERS it doesn't harvest anymore, then any braking is done by rear braking, so that is why the rear brakes overheated.

That made it massively difficult: I needed to cool the brakes and lost speed on the straights.

I was able to hold off the pack behind me until two laps until the end so it's still a really good result.

I was trying to hold on, doing qualifying laps all the time, but it didn't work out against Daniel.

Rosberg's performance confirmed his status as the thinking driver in this year's championship fight.

Admittedly, he was aided substantially—especially as the race reached its climax—by Sergio Perez's struggles with an electrical glitch and ageing tyres, which formed a train of cars behind the Force India, allowing the Mercedes to escape somewhat. 

However, Rosberg's ability to nurse his brakes and contend with a loss of horsepower, albeit with the strongest engine on the grid by a distance, was majestic.

And it wasn't just his caressing of the car to the flag that was impressive—it was the calmness with which he applied himself.

The Canadian Grand Prix, in general, was arguably the most difficult and stressful race of Rosberg's season.

Having been the one to take the fight to Hamilton in Bahrain and Spain, before blocking the streets of Monaco from the 2008 world champion, it was now Rosberg who had to resist a full-blown assault from behind.

Hamilton's excellent start, which saw him lead momentarily before the Mercedes drivers hit the brakes for Turn 1, caused Rosberg to lock up slightly and force his teammate wide.

Another mistake occurred following the first safety car period when the German mowed the lawn on the entry to Turn 4, which unsettled the car and forced Rosberg to make a desperate, lunging correction on the steering wheel.

And, of course, Rosberg locked up at the final chicane whilst under pressure from Hamilton for the lead, before facing the uncertainty of a potential penalty for gaining an advantage by cutting the right-left sequence. 

It was a grand prix full of potentially decisive moments for Rosberg in terms of the destiny of the race, the championship and the atmosphere within the Mercedes team, and he overcame each hurdle one way or another—sometimes keeping the car on the road, sometimes just keeping it running.

The 18 points Rosberg gained in Montreal has extended his lead over Hamilton to 22, with the former now on 140 and the chaser stuck on 118. 

And the German, perhaps more than anyone, understands the importance of a comfortable points lead with the current scoring system when both Mercedes drivers are so evenly matched.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUJgN9zPAsg

After Rosberg won the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on a day when Hamilton retired, it took the British driver a career record of four race wins in succession before he took the lead from his teammate in the drivers' standings at the Spanish Grand Prix.

If Hamilton embarks upon another winning streak, with Rosberg settling for second on each occasion—a prospect which is entirely plausible given Mercedes' performance advantage—it won't be until the Hungarian Grand Prix in four races' time that Hamilton will regain the initiative in the drivers' championship. 

Even then, the margin between the pair will be a mere six points—a reflection of how tight this title fight is.

In first beating Hamilton to pole at the track where his teammate specialises and then surviving MGU-K disease to claim second place, Rosberg delivered his strongest message thus far to the man across the garage and displayed why he would be a worthy world champion.

And to think that drive will be remembered as an exercise in damage limitation...