During the race weekend, Lando Norris exceeded expectations, overtaking Hamilton and leaving Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in seventh place, two positions behind his teammate Carlos Sainz.
At the Chinese Grand Prix, former Formula 1 driver Nico Rosberg quickly responded to a comment made by Sky Sports F1 commentator Karun Chandhok about Rosberg’s past rivalry with Lewis Hamilton.
Currently, Rosberg is part of the Sky broadcast team at the event, which had a dramatic start due to a fire in the grass that interrupted the initial practice session.
This was followed by Lando Norris securing the pole position for the sprint race on Saturday in a thrilling final against Hamilton.
During the race weekend, Norris exceeded expectations, overtaking Hamilton and leaving Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in seventh place, two positions behind his teammate Carlos Sainz.
With only six points separating Sainz and Leclerc in the drivers’ standings, tension is expected, as Sainz will be replaced by Hamilton, who is on track to become a seven-time world champion by the end of 2024.
During the broadcast, Rosberg discussed the potential dynamics of the race weekend, stating: “We are all looking forward to that dynamic once again. Charles doesn’t seem like someone who seeks conflict with his teammate.”
Chandhok’s response, “Like you?”, led to an uncomfortable exchange on air. Rosberg replied, “Come on. That’s not a nice thing to say” and continued with his comments.
Rosberg and Hamilton had a notably contentious relationship during their four-year partnership at Mercedes.
During that period, Rosberg won his only world championship in 2016 before retiring at the age of 31 to focus on his family life.
Despite frequently ending up as runner-up to Hamilton, their rivalry intensified with several public disagreements, with Rosberg humorously mentioning that it almost became physical.
#RedBull by Christian Horner still faces possible dismissal as #FIA intervenes.
Since his retirement, Rosberg has made efforts to repair his relationship with Hamilton. In an interview with the German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung, Rosberg shared: “Lewis and I have repaired our friendship. We see each other occasionally. Every Christmas, my daughters receive a big box full of gifts from him,” indicating a significant improvement in their personal relationship post-retirement.
This reconciliation highlights a more friendly conclusion to what was once an intense competitive saga between the two champions.