Nico Rosberg casts doubt on Lewis Hamilton’s explanations for his recent performance struggles, stemming from their tense rivalry during their time as Mercedes teammates in 2016. Their strained relationship is palpable, especially when they encounter each other during Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends.
In his current capacities as a commentator, influencer, and entrepreneur, Rosberg remains assertive in pursuing his ventures while openly critiquing others. Notably, he has expressed skepticism towards Hamilton’s explanations for his difficulties against Mercedes teammate George Russell this season.
Russell has consistently outperformed Hamilton, winning the qualifying battle 4-1 and outscoring the seven-time champion in races, accumulating 33 points to Hamilton’s 19.
“Lewis attributes his trailing performance against Russell to setup adjustments every time, which sounds like an excuse to me,” remarked Rosberg on Sky Sport Deutschland. “It’s unexpected for a seven-time world champion to make such glaring errors.”
Interestingly, Russell himself mentioned during the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix that their cars had nearly identical setups, with Hamilton qualifying 18th for the race after altering his setup following the Sprint event.
“We were both moving in the same direction. The differences were minimal. We made significant setup changes after the sprint, but they were in the same vein,” Russell declared.
Rosberg suggests that Hamilton’s standing within the Mercedes team, where he clinched six world championships, is waning as he prepares to depart for Ferrari in 2025.
“Now, he’s only half of the Mercedes family,” noted Rosberg. “There may come a point where Toto Wolff ceases to share data with him.”
With Hamilton’s impending move to Mercedes’ rivals Ferrari, he might be excluded from crucial decisions and updates regarding the 2025 car to prevent him from gaining insider knowledge that could benefit the Italian team upon his arrival in Maranello.
Despite this, Hamilton’s recent second-place finish in the sprint event demonstrated his skill, drawing comparisons to Fernando Alonso’s remarkable performance in wet conditions in Shanghai.
Hamilton brushes off the frequent criticisms from former drivers as “nonsense.”
