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Nico Rosberg's relationship with Lewis Hamilton wasn't always as negative as it was during his time at Mercedes. According to the German, the relationship turned sour when the two drivers were part of the same team in 2014. It was clear from the outset that a Mercedes driver would win the World Drivers' Championship (WDC), so great was the team's advantage over their competitors.
According to Nico Rosberg, the relationship "spiraled" over a trivial matter. The misunderstanding proved to be the catalyst for his relationship with Hamilton turning sour, reaching its lowest point when the pair collided during the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix.
Going into detail about how his relationship with Lewis Hamilton changed, Nico Rosberg told Alain Prost, a guest on his podcast:
"We experienced it as well at Mercedes when the negative relationship spiraled. The spiral began in 2014 when one of us did something which the other thought was on purpose but actually, it was not on purpose but an accident, a minor thing really.
Rosberg added:
"And then, the engineers picked up on it, told the driver, 'Hey, look at what the other driver is doing,' and then you just get influenced from the outside and you want to set it straight... and you yourself cross over to the gray area. Then the other guy sees that and responds, because of which it spirals and spirals."
Nico Rosberg-Lewis Hamilton rivalry culminated in 2016
The rivalry between Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton culminated in 2016 when the German finally beat the Briton for the title. Rosberg subsequently retired from the sport, having fulfilled a lifelong dream of emulating his father, 1982 WDC Keke Rosberg.
Lewis Hamilton, on the other hand, has not lost a championship since. He is currently striving for a record-breaking eighth WDC in what has been one of the closest title battles in the history of the sport.
