The rivalry between Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg turned bitter over the weekend as the pair continue to battle it out for Formula 1’s top spot.
The long-time friendship between the two drivers turned troubled after a reeling Hamilton refused to acknowledge the German on the podium after being convincingly beaten by more than nine seconds at Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix.
“We are not friends,” Hamilton told Sky Sports after the race. “We are colleagues.”
While Rosberg said he would sit down and sort out the issue between the pair, stemming from a cheeky move at Saturday’s qualifying which saw Rosberg steal pole position by using the escape road on the final lap, Hamilton remained undecided, saying “I don’t really have an answer for you there.”
The friendship between the two dates back to their go-karting days, however cracks in the relationship have become more public in recent weeks. Hamilton told reporters ahead of the Monaco GP that his poorer upbringing had made him more “hungry” for success in comparison to Rosberg’s Monaco childhood, featuring “jets and hotels and boats”. The 29-year-old refused to accept an apology for the qualifying incident on Sunday, but had later cooled down in a Monday interview with the BBC, saying “The weekend’s done and dusted. We’ve got a one-two for the team. Let’s just focus on moving forward. I plan to be stronger in the next race.”
Rosberg’s win in Monte Carlo propelled him back into the lead in the drive standings with a four-point advantage over Hamilton. Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso remains a distant third, trailing Hamilton by a whopping 57 points. The Englishman says Mercedes’ success can continue this season, but it will based on respect and no longer friendship.
“It’s never going to be perfect because we’re fierce competitors, so you can never expect us to be best friends and compete as fiercely as we do. But we will remain respectful I think. Or I will try to remain respectful.”
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