Rosberg reflects on Hamilton rivalry and his 2016 retirement

Nico Rosberg has said he and Lewis Hamilton still will not be best friends, a decade after their intense 2016 season as Mercedes team mates. Their relationship deteriorated over four seasons together, with several costly clashes in 2016, including at the Austrian and Spanish Grands Prix. Rosberg secured his only Drivers' Championship that year, finishing five points ahead of Hamilton.

Rosberg announced his retirement just five days after clinching the title. Speaking on the F1 Beyond The Grid podcast, he apologised to fans who had hoped the battle would continue, and said he had given everything to achieve his dream. He described the decision as right for him, though he admitted it was scary at the time.

Rosberg said Toto Wolff accepted his decision as definitive, while Niki Lauda was more upset about the position it left Mercedes in. He acknowledged that he had compromised the team by leaving so suddenly, and said he would have preferred to celebrate his title for a month before stepping away.