Nico Rosberg has once again reflected on his intense and often controversial rivalry with Lewis Hamilton, admitting that many of the incidents that defined their years together at Mercedes were probably more his fault than the Briton’s. The former Formula 1 World Champion also described Hamilton as a genuine “genius” behind the wheel.
The two drivers had known each other since their karting days, when they were friends and shared the dream of one day reaching Formula 1. Rosberg made his debut in the world championship in 2006, one year before Hamilton entered the sport. Their careers became closely linked again in 2013 when Hamilton joined Mercedes and partnered the German driver, who had already been part of the project since the team’s modern Formula 1 era began in 2010.
With the arrival of the V6 hybrid power unit regulations in 2014, Mercedes quickly established itself as the dominant force in Formula 1. As a result, the fight for the world championship soon became an internal battle between Hamilton and Rosberg. Their rivalry grew increasingly fierce over the following seasons and reached its peak in 2016, a campaign marked by several controversial moments and memorable collisions, including the famous incidents in Barcelona and Spielberg.
In the end, it was Rosberg who emerged victorious. The German managed to withstand Hamilton’s late-season charge and secured the Formula 1 world title at the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi, achieving the greatest success of his career.
Speaking on the High Performance podcast, Rosberg explained how he felt compelled to change his natural personality in order to have a realistic chance of defeating Hamilton over the course of a championship campaign.
“Absolutely, because the real Nico Rosberg is too nice. Sometimes I had to force myself to be tougher and more aggressive, even though it wasn’t in my nature,” he explained.
Rosberg then connected his own experience to the recent Formula 1 title battle involving Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, arguing that there are situations in which a driver needs to send a strong message to a rival on track. Looking back at the numerous clashes he experienced with Hamilton during their years as teammates, the 2016 World Champion acknowledged that he was often the one who pushed things beyond the limit.
“There are so many small details that build up over the course of a season and help you avoid giving in when the decisive moments arrive. Unfortunately, that also led to several accidents and, considering that Lewis is a true genius, I think that in most cases the responsibility was more mine than his,” he admitted.
Despite that admission, Rosberg still believes that altering his mindset and behavior was essential if he wanted to achieve his ultimate objective of beating Hamilton in a straight fight for the championship.
“I had to do it because it was a way of sending him a message. I think he was surprised to see a different Nico than usual, someone who was less accommodating and more combative. It was one of the elements that gave me the opportunity to truly beat him,” Rosberg said.
After securing the world championship in 2016, Rosberg made a decision that would become one of the most remarkable moments in modern Formula 1 history: he retired from the sport as the reigning World Champion. Hamilton, meanwhile, continued his career and went on to add four more world titles to his record, further strengthening his status as one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers of all time.
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