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If the world of Formula 1 was ever reminded of Senna v Prost: The sequel, then this rivalry probably, gets the closest to the one aforementioned. Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg's battle for the 2014 championship has drawn tantalizing comparisons with the sport's most famous rivalry between former McLaren pairing of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost. It’s safe to say that this has been the fiercest rivalry in recent times.
Friends turned into rivals
Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg started the year on good terms. Childhood friends and close neighbours in the principality of Monaco, they had already spent a year as team-mates without any significant issues. Since their karting days, they have maintained a close relationship.
Though they weren't the best of buddies—no two racing drivers in the same series could be—by F1 standards, they were friends. But once it became clear the title race was going to be a two-horse Mercedes canter, fears their relationship would not last the distance emerged. Those fears were realised after only six races.
Small cracks had begun to show when Rosberg used a restricted engine mode to attempt to pass Hamilton in Bahrain, and then Hamilton did the same when defending his lead in Spain. But they were minor incidents, easily forgiven and forgotten, and nothing compared to what was coming next.
No big controversy between the two at the start
During qualifying for May's Monaco Grand Prix, Rosberg had provisional pole from Hamilton by just 0.059 seconds after their opening runs. Both went out for a second run towards the end of the session, Rosberg around 15 seconds up the road from Hamilton.
After an average first sector, where he was down on his best, he braked a touch later at Mirabeau, than he had done on the previous lap, and locked up and went straight on. He then reversed back onto the track, bringing out the yellow flags. Whether the German, knowing he was down on his best time, deliberately caused the yellows to ensure he retained pole, we may never know.
But whether deliberate or not, the incident (and perhaps, Rosberg's delighted celebration afterwards) infuriated Hamilton and drove a wedge between the two. The ‘friendship’ was over and worse was yet to come.
The worse was yet to come
A couple of races later at Spa, the Mercedes duo were 1-2 after qualifying. With Hamilton leading Rosberg after the first lap, a long and intriguing battle was expected to follow. At the start of the second lap, going down the Kemmel Straight after Eau Rouge, Rosberg seemed much quicker in a straight line. He pulled out from behind Hamilton and tried to go around the outside into Les Combes.
Hamilton braked late and made the corner on his normal line. Rosberg, on the outside, could see the attempt had failed. He turned the wheel left to straighten the car, then swung right into Hamilton. His front wing hit Hamilton's rear-left tyre and punctured it, while Rosberg's own front wing was damaged. Hamilton was out of contention entirely, but Rosberg finished the race second.
Deliberate or not?
Like Monaco, intent is impossible to prove or disprove, but Hamilton thought it was deliberate. This was probably an overreaction from Rosberg’s side, after the Hungarian Grand Prix, when he felt Hamilton did not allow him through inspite of him having a faster car at that time and on a different strategy.
The Mercedes team called for several meeting after this, and internal disciplinary action was taken against Rosberg. Rosberg admitted responsibility, and apologised to the team and Hamilton on Facebook. This was a slap on the wrist for a person who felt his actions weren’t deliberate. All along this season, it has seemed that Hamilton is the Senna of this battle, while Rosberg is the Prost. And this was evident when Lewis said he would take a similar approach to what Senna took, in his rivalry with Prost in the infamous 1989 season.
Although things have been calmer since then, their relationship is limited to a formal embracement after each race, rather than the respect and exuberance, which each other had till this season. Now, as the season has gradually reached its conclusion, there seems to be no clear favourite for the championship as yet, though Hamilton having the momentum, having won 5 races on the bounce.
Can Hamilton and Rosberg work together in the seasons to come?
The warmth and friendship visible at the start of the season have gone, replaced by frosty body language that neither makes any effort to hide. Teammates at war can push a team forward, but they're far more likely to be a destabilising factor.
On the evidence of the season so far, they might never work closely together and will never trust each other again. Too much has happened and neither is likely to forgive or forget.
