Formula 1 icon Lewis Hamilton has experienced his share of contentious on-track incidents throughout his career.
But as two McLaren drivers prepare to compete for the 2025 championship, Hamilton’s former teammate has disclosed the true cost of their rivalry following a collision at the Spanish Grand Prix.
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Hamilton and fellow champion Nico Rosberg raced together at Mercedes from 2013 to 2016, with one particular incident standing out during their time on the track.
During the 2016 Spanish GP, Hamilton and Rosberg collided on the race’s opening lap, leaving team principal Toto Wolff in despair and serving as a classic example of why certain racing stars should not be allowed to compete against their teammates ‘fairly’.
As the 2025 Spanish GP approached last weekend, the competition at the top of the drivers’ standings was intense, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri leading the field by a mere three points over his teammate Lando Norris.
In his capacity as a pundit for Sky F1 during the race, Rosberg, known for his candid opinions, cautioned McLaren principal Andrea Stella, stating: “My two cents are, unfortunately, that’s a recipe for disaster to trust the drivers!”
While discussing this year’s race coverage in Barcelona, Rosberg referenced his own notorious clash with Hamilton, explaining: “I closed up at the last moment, very aggressively of course. Suddenly Lewis was absent from the rear-view mirror; I was unaware of his position because he was beside me on the grass.
Both Mercedes cars were immediately eliminated from the race due to the incident, and by the conclusion of the 2016 season, Rosberg secured the championship title for the first and only time, famously announcing his retirement from the sport just days after achieving his first victory.
Reflecting on the consequences of allowing teammates to race freely, Rosberg revealed: “At that time, we had addenda in our contracts. Regardless of who is at fault – if we crash, we must team mate was around.
Should McLaren choose a number one F1 driver?
While Piastri and Norris have not yet attained the complex dynamic seen between Hamilton and Rosberg, being an effective teammate in Formula 1 frequently involves a perplexing mix of necessary selfishness and a constant focus on the constructors’ standings. Indeed, McLaren has surged ahead in the rankings and, following this year’s Spanish Grand Prix, they find themselves comfortably positioned at the top, boasting a 197-point lead over their nearest rival, Ferrari.
Nevertheless, the drivers’ championship remains competitive, and although Norris was anticipated to be Max Verstappen’s primary title contender in 2024, the British driver did not exert sufficient pressure on the Dutchman for his campaign to be regarded as a genuine threat by Red Bull. From the perspective of the papaya F1 team, if they can maintain the satisfaction of both drivers without designating a number one in their lineup, they could retain the strongest driver pairing on the grid well into the next set of regulations, which may be crucial for the 2026 championship and beyond.
