Lewis Hamilton vs Nico Rosberg

The Rivalry

Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg had known each other since their karting days in the late 1990s, when the two teenagers were close friends who shared an apartment and dreamed of reaching Formula 1 together. That friendship survived their early careers but did not survive being teammates at Mercedes, where from 2014 they were handed the fastest car on the grid and a chance to fight for the world championship against each other.

The relationship curdled steadily over three seasons as the stakes rose. Hamilton took the 2014 and 2015 titles, but the racing on track grew increasingly fractious, with on-circuit contact, frosty cooldown rooms and a Mercedes hierarchy struggling to keep two ferociously competitive drivers from taking each other out of races.

In 2016 Rosberg finally edged Hamilton to the title, then stunned the sport by retiring from Formula 1 just days later at the peak of his career, ending one of the most intense intra-team rivalries the sport has seen.

Defining Moments

• Spa 2014 — Rosberg clipped Hamilton's rear tyre on lap two, puncturing it and effectively ending Hamilton's race. The collision became the flashpoint of their rivalry and drew public criticism from within the Mercedes camp.
• Austin 2015 — Hamilton sealed his third world title with victory at the US Grand Prix, robustly forcing Rosberg wide at the first corner. Rosberg's frustration boiled over in the cooldown room afterwards.
• Spain 2016 — The pair collided on the opening lap and both Mercedes cars crashed out, a dramatic double retirement that handed Max Verstappen his first F1 win on his Red Bull debut.
• Abu Dhabi 2016 — Rosberg finished second behind a deliberately backing-up Hamilton to clinch his only world championship, then announced his retirement five days later.

The Verdict

Over their time as Mercedes teammates, Hamilton held the edge in raw pace, qualifying and race wins, and took two of the three championships they contested directly. Rosberg's 2016 triumph, built on relentless consistency and seizing every opportunity, proved he could beat one of the sport's greatest, but the toll of the fight was so great that he walked away rather than try to do it again.