Nico Rosberg, the only man so far in the turbo-hybrid era to defeat Lewis Hamilton, tells Max Verstappen how to defeat his adversary.
Lewis Hamilton looks to be in full battle mode ahead of the final two races of the season. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen would try his best not to let the reigning world champion break his fragile lead.
Nico Rosberg, the only man to defeat Hamilton for the title in the turbo-hybrid era, tells the challenger Verstappen how to beat the Mercedes ace for the championship.
27 NOV, 2016: 🗓 ⏪
Five years ago today, another tense F1 title battle was decided at a dramatic final race in Abu Dhabi ⚔️
And it was @NicoRosberg who held his nerve to race to glory 🏆#F1 #OnThisDay @MercedesAMGF1 pic.twitter.com/7ShHAi9uc5
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 27, 2021
“You have to take advantage when Lewis has his weak phases, when he loses his motivation, his head – then it’s full attack!” Rosberg said in an interview with Germany’s SportBuzzer.
“In other words, you have to score the maximum number of points possible, because you should never write Lewis off – he always comes back.” He added: “Every time I see Lewis win, it becomes clearer why it wasn’t quite so easy for me to beat him.”
Also read: Nico Rosberg predicts this F1 driver will be future world champion
Nico Rosberg feels Hamilton is the favourite
With only eight points separating the two drivers, and Mercedes saving its “spicy engine” for Saudi Arabia, Rosberg thinks Hamilton is the favourite for the title.
“It’s sensationally close! Emotionally, I say Lewis. His experience speaks for him,” he commented. Defeating Hamilton came at a cost for the German.
Rosberg, only after a few days decided to retire, considering that constantly competing against Hamilton at this level is tolling. Thus, he lauds Verstappen’s mental strength and calls him a strong contender.
“It’s certainly not easy for Max, because it’s the first time he’s been in such a situation, and then [going up] against the most successful Formula 1 driver of all time. In this respect, he already deserves the greatest recognition.”
Also read: 2016 World Champion Nico Rosberg reveals the moment he decided to retire
