Nico Rosberg says his relationship with former Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton has improved since his retirement from Formula 1, but the pair are unlikely to become close friends. Speaking on the official F1 Beyond The Grid podcast, Rosberg described their current relationship as “neutral”.
Rosberg and Hamilton raced together from their karting days and spent four seasons as Mercedes teammates between 2013 and 2016. Their partnership became increasingly strained, with clashes during the 2016 season, which Rosberg won by five points to claim his only Drivers’ Championship.
The German announced his retirement five days after the title-deciding victory. He said the decision was frightening at the time but ultimately right for him, explaining that he had put everything into what he called a “crazy intense” season and did not believe he could sustain that level year after year.
Rosberg said Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff accepted that the decision was final, while Niki Lauda was angrier because the team needed to find a replacement. Rosberg said he announced his retirement quickly to give the team time to rebuild, even though he would have preferred to celebrate his title before making the news public.
He also reflected on the Abu Dhabi finale, where Hamilton drove slowly in an attempt to bunch up the field. Rosberg said the tactic was difficult in the moment because it risked Mercedes losing the race, but looking back, he felt it made his victory “all the nicer”.
Asked about their relationship after he left racing, Rosberg said it had naturally eased. He rejected a comparison with Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, saying he and Hamilton were on good terms but would “not be best friends ever”.
Sources: Formula 1.