- Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg still remembers how bad it felt giving up his World Title trophy to Lewis Hamilton
- Rosberg reached the pinnacle of his Formula One career when he defeated Hamilton to win the 2016 World title
- Hamilton became a four-time World Champion in 2017
Former Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg still remembers how bad it felt giving up his World Title trophy to Lewis Hamilton in 2017.
Rosberg reached the pinnacle of his Formula One career when he defeated Hamilton to win the 2016 World title.
The duo had been embroiled in a rivalry as Mercedes team-mates between 2013 and 2016 that grew increasingly acrimonious with time.
This battle came to an end after Rosberg won the 2016 championship on the last day of the season in Abu Dhabi. A few days later, Rosberg announced his immediate retirement from Formula 1.
Getting the World title trophy is something he still remembers but it turns out that he does not currently possess a replica to place in the trophy cabinet.
He never forgets how the trophy was taken back, as is a procedure, placed in the trunk of the car and given to Hamilton in 2017.
Nico Rosberg. Photo/Los Angeles times
“You have to give the World Championship back! You only get to keep it for a year. I had to give it to Lewis. No, I had someone pick it up from my house, put it in a boot and drive it to Lewis’ home. That was not cool!” he said during a pundit session with Sky F1 on the sidelines of the Spanish Grand Prix.
After winning the title in 2017, Hamilton became a four-time World Champion. Since then, the Brit has added three more victories, bringing his total to seven, tying Michael Schumacher’s record.
Hamilton isn’t successful yet to launch a fresh push in his bid for an eighth championship race.
Especially with a far less capable Mercedes W14 after controversially missing out on the record on the final lap of the 2021 season in Abu Dhabi. That eighth championship still eludes him.
Red Bull is by far the dominant F1 team although the new substantial improvement package for the Mercedes W14 has given Hamilton is promising greater performance.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton. Photo: Florent Gooden/DPPI/LiveMedia
The new upgrades for the W14 include a front suspension, a cooling system, a new floor and sidepod to enhance performance.
Mercedes launched the new upgraded car at the Monaco Grand Prix but it wasn’t tested optimally due to the nature of the tracks here.
In Barcelona though, Hamilton proved that the upgrades will win him his eighth championship title.
He finished second after Red Bull which is commendable especially because he finished fifth at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Still, Max Verstappen expanded his lead in the title race to 53 points after his Red Bull car to victory in the Spanish Grand Prix.
Verstappen surged ahead of Hamilton, Lando Norris, and Carlos Sainz early on in the race. He maintained a steady pace to finish first.
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