adminRosberg was immediately summoned to the stewards for the Mercedes driver’s apparent failure to slow for yellow warning flags during the race.
Stewards asked the German to report to them with a team representative.
Rosberg, who celebrated his second win of the season, finished the chaotic race 0.7 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s Australian Mark Webber.
On an afternoon that also saw triple world champion Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull break down while leading, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso boosted his title hopes with an unexpected third place.
Vettel has 132 points to the Spaniard’s 111 after eight of 19 races, with the German’s home race at the Nuerburgring next up in a week’s time.
Australian Mark Webber, who had started on the second row but plunged to 14th at the end of the first lap after a nightmare start, finished second to continue a run of Silverstone podium finishes dating back to 2009.
“It’s a very, very special day,” said Rosberg of his second win of the season.
“With Lewis, I feel sorry for all the British fans. It would have been a great race for Lewis here in front of his home crowd. That’s racing sometimes,” said Rosberg in a podium interview with 1996 champion Damon Hill.
“When Sebastian stopped, I won’t lie. I wasn’t disappointed by that one. And it was just a great race from then,” added the German, who beat Webber by 0.7 seconds after a thrilling last seven laps following the second safety car.
Hamilton had started on pole, chasing his first win for Mercedes since his move from McLaren, and led for the first eight laps until the 2008 world champion’s rear left tyre exploded in a flash of flailing rubber.
He nursed his bucking car around the circuit, pitted in 18th place and returned to the track 21st with his hopes of victory wrecked.
It was the start of a mighty drive by the Briton, who ended the race in fourth place.
“Wonderful drive, Lewis,” said team principal Ross Brawn over the team radio at the finish. “Sorry it didn’t quite work out but well done.”
Hamilton’s blowout was the first of five rear left failures in a race with two safety car stints – one of them caused by Vettel whose car ground to a halt on the pit straight while he was leading.
“Lost the drive, lost the gearbox,” the German shouted over the radio.
Ferrari’s Brazilian Felipe Massa, Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne in the Toro Rosso and Mexicans Esteban Gutierrez and Sergio Perez for Sauber and McLaren respectively also suffered tyre failures.
RESULTS
1. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1:32:59.456
2. Mark Webber (Australia) RedBull — Renault +00:00.765
3. Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 00:07.124
4. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 00:07.756
5. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus — Renault 00:11.257
6. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 00:14.573
7. Adrian Sutil (Germany) Force India — Mercedes 00:16.335
8. Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso — Ferrari 00:16.543
9. Paul Di Resta (Britain) Force India — Mercedes 00:17.943
10. Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Sauber — Ferrari 00:19.709
11. Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams — Renault 00:21.135
12. Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams — Renault 00:25.094
13. Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 00:25.969
14. Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber — Ferrari 00:26.285
15. Charles Pic (France) Caterham – Renault 00:31.613
16. Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia — Cosworth 00:36.097
17. Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia — Cosworth 01:07.660
18. Giedo van der Garde (Netherlands) Caterham — Renault 01:07.759
19r. Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus — Renault 1 lap
20r. Sergio Perez (Mexico) McLaren 6 laps
r. Sebastian Vettel (Germany) RedBull — Renault 11 laps
r. Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso – Ferrari 16 laps — Reuters.
Online Reporter