Rosberg recalls fearing crash with Verstappen during 2016 Abu Dhabi title race

Nico Rosberg has said he feared a race-ending crash with Max Verstappen during the 2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where he needed a top-three finish to win his first world championship. Lewis Hamilton's late strategy of backing the field up left Rosberg stuck directly behind Verstappen's Red Bull.

Speaking on the Beyond the Grid podcast, Rosberg described the moment his race engineer Tony Ross told him his championship was at risk and he needed to pass Verstappen within two laps. Rosberg said he managed the overtake and later thanked Verstappen for racing him fairly, describing a foot shaking uncontrollably from adrenaline afterwards.