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Nico Rosberg revealed that his dynamic with Lewis Hamilton soured while fighting for the world championship. The German driver revealed that the intensity of the title fight led to bitter on-track battles and was reflected in the title race in 2016.
Reflecting upon the point where his rapport with the Briton soured, the 2016 F1 world champion revealed to Eurosport, saying:
“It happened immediately when we were fighting for the World Championship. Not before. But that’s always the case: when you’re fighting for success in every race and for titles, it doesn’t work anymore.”
The battle between the two drivers started in 2014 when Mercedes started dominating the V6 hybrid era of the sport. In 2015, however, a rift between the two drivers became evident on track. The flashpoint of their rivalry came when the two clashed on track at the 2016 F1 Spanish GP. The German champion had also revealed in the past that there was a point in their rivalry when the team stepped in to remind them of the code of conduct.
Upon being asked if there was any particular incident that led to the bitter rivalry with Lewis Hamilton, Rosberg replied:
“No, it’s been a build-up from one race to the next. If you want to decide the World Championship for yourself, you can’t play ‘peace, joy, pancake’. You have to test limits and go into grey areas to win. Especially when two drivers are at such a high level, and then it often gets tight.”
Nico Rosberg believes he shares a neutral rapport with Lewis Hamilton
The former Mercedes champion believes he shares a neutral relationship with Lewis Hamilton after his retirement from the sport. Nico Rosberg revealed that he does not regret the flashpoint in their rivalry in Spain, where both drivers took each other out of the race.
Reflecting upon the 2016 F1 Spanish GP where he clashed with the Briton, Rosberg said:
“I don’t regret anything. It was a sensational time and a mega fight. I’m very proud of that. In the meantime, we’ve returned to [a] neutral [relationship], which is okay.”
The fierce battle between the two Mercedes drivers went down in the history books as the "Silver Wars". Although Rosberg claims their relationship is respectful and neutral, he has not left a stone to turn when it comes to taking a swipe at his former teammate on Sky Sports. The media-mouthing match between the two has continued off-track, with one as a TV pundit and the other as a driver.
