The 2016 champion confessed that his relationship with the Briton became "a war" and that they barely had any dialogue. "When you fight for a world championship, you are always going to sacrifice friendship for that goal, unfortunately" he stated on the High Performance podcast.
Nico Rosberg opened his heart on the High Performance podcast and revealed the personal cost of his fight for the Formula 1 world championship, the German confessed that the rivalry with Lewis Hamilton completely deteriorated their relationship and that the friendship they had built since childhood was relegated by the ambition to win: "When you fight for a world championship, you are always going to sacrifice friendship for that goal, unfortunately, the relationship with Lewis was a war" stated the 40 year old former driver.
The crash between them at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix was a turning point in the relationship, Rosberg recalled that he consciously decided not to back down in that maneuver and that he had to be firmer even though his natural instinct was to give up, the episode sent a clear message to Hamilton and forced Mercedes to take internal measures, such as a contract that made both of them financially responsible for car damage regardless of fault: "Signing for $360,000 after a crash makes you think twice" highlighted the German.
The atmosphere within the team became extremely complex, loyalties were divided and Rosberg felt the constant pressure from the team principal: "It was very difficult to know which side they would be on in each confrontation" acknowledged the driver, who also had to deal with Michael Schumacher's mind games when they were teammates at Mercedes, the seven time champion lived to mentally destroy those around him according to Rosberg's account.
The German also spoke about the fear he felt in the last race of 2016 in Abu Dhabi, where the title was decided at the last moment: "I felt such great fear that my foot was trembling on the throttle, something I will never forget" confessed Rosberg, who managed to transform vulnerability into a tool thanks to meditation and visualization exercises that prepared him to withstand critical moments.
The driver revealed that working with a psychologist in F1 was seen as a sign of weakness: "I couldn't tell anyone I was receiving psychological help, only my wife knew" he commented. The decision to retire immediately after being crowned champion was lonely and he barely consulted his inner circle: "I decided my retirement at the finish line, it was relief not joy, I had fulfilled my dream."
Rosberg acknowledged that he did not know who he was without the car and the helmet because since the age of nine he only knew the life of a driver and that he preferred to leave at the top rather than become a former champion dragged by inertia.
