Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton still won't be best friends, even a decade after their crazy intense battle in 2016. Speaking on the official podcast F1 Beyond The Grid, Rosberg reflected on the fierce rivalry that defined their time as Mercedes team mates between 2013 and 2016.
The pair had competed against each other since their karting days, but the pressure eventually fractured their relationship. Hamilton claimed two titles during those four seasons, while Rosberg clinched his sole Drivers' Championship by five points over the Briton after a tumultuous year featuring costly clashes at the Spanish and Austrian Grands Prix.
Just five days after securing that championship, Rosberg announced his shock retirement from the sport, paving the way for Valtteri Bottas to join the Silver Arrows for the 2017 season. "I apologise to all the fans at the time who wanted to see that fight go on because it was a great battle between Lewis and I," Rosberg said on the podcast. He admitted that the decision was scary, but he knew he was at the peak and could not sustain that level of intensity year after year.
The timing of the announcement left figures within the team divided. Rosberg explained that Team Principal Toto Wolff accepted the decision was definitive, but Non-Executive Chairman and former World Champion Niki Lauda was more on the angry side due to the sudden void it created. Rosberg moved quickly to tell them immediately so the squad could find a replacement, admitting he would have preferred to spend a month celebrating instead.
Looking back at the tense season finale in Abu Dhabi, Rosberg recalled how Hamilton did not obey team orders and instead drove very slowly to bunch the pack up, risking a race win with Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen charging from behind. "It was horrible in the moment," Rosberg acknowledged, though he noted that in hindsight it made the achievement feel even nicer.
Today, the dynamic between the two former rivals has cooled. When asked if their relationship improved after his exit, Rosberg confirmed that things are fine now and completely neutral, though they will never be best friends.
F1
F1
F1
