When it comes down to legends of Formula 1, there’s no one out there quite like Lewis Hamilton. The driver carved out a career against all odds and has been hailed as one of the greatest racers of all time.
But what was that experience like for Nico Rosberg, who competed alongside Hamilton throughout their lives? The 2016 Champion opened up on the experience in Abu Dhabi.
Lewis Hamilton “a natural talent like there’s never been before”
When Lewis Hamilton burst onto the Formula 1 scene with McLaren in 2007, he immediately made waves by winning four races and finishing the year second overall in the Championship — a frankly incredible feat for any driver, let alone a rookie in his first year.
Hamilton went on to secure his first World Drivers’ Championship the following year, in 2008, but it wasn’t until he moved to Mercedes in 2014 that his skill became clear. Over the next seven years, Hamilton scored six more titles, putting him level with Michael Schumacher when it comes to setting the record for most championships of all time.
At the end of 2024, Hamilton bid adieu to Mercedes after nearly a decade of competition, and at his final race with the outfit in Abu Dhabi, everyone was reflective — including longtime rival Nico Rosberg.
Rosberg is perhaps best known for being Hamilton’s teammate at Mercedes, narrowly snatching the title from the dominant racer’s grasp in 2016. But the two men were friends from childhood and grew up racing against one another all their lives.
As such, Rosberg was uniquely qualified to reflect on Hamilton’s brilliance at the conclusion of the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, starting with what he added to the team.
“He added the genius,” Rosberg said on the Sky Sports F1 broadcast, “because he’s the greatest of all time, a natural talent like there’s never been before in F1.
“It was amazing to be a rival there for some years and share together the success of the Mercedes team, and then to watch them go on and continue that streak for so many years.
“It’s a very emotional day today for everybody there. Amazing story.”
Rosberg referred to Hamilton as “the ultimate benchmark” because he was “incredibly difficult to beat.
“I knew that since I’m 13 years old, because I was already teammates in go-karting with him,” the former racer said.
“But all the better, all the sweeter, for me that then I did manage to beat him as my rival.”
Many who have worked or raced alongside Hamilton have walked away with similar conclusions, and the Briton’s impact on Mercedes was clear in Abu Dhabi when he opted to skip out on post-race interviews to instead take photos with every individual on the Brackley-based team, bidding them all an emotional and meaningful goodbye.
Heading into 2025, Hamilton will start a new chapter of his career, this time donning the scarlet of Scuderia Ferrari alongside new teammate Charles Leclerc. Will his brilliance translate to a new outfit? It remains to be seen.