At the start of 2014, the Silver Arrows took over as F1\u2019s dominant team. At first, they relished the battle, as evidenced by their embrace in parc ferme after an epic tussle in Bahrain.<\/p>\n
CATEGORYHAMROSWins3222Poles3529Podiums5550Points1,3341,195Titles21Lewis Hamilton vs Nico Rosberg at Mercedes, 2013-16<\/p>\n
But relations soured over time, and the two drivers came together in Belgium (2014), Spain and Austria (both 2016). Hamilton won the first two championships relatively comfortably, but Rosberg<\/a> hit back in 2016 before abruptly retiring from the sport.<\/p>\n The 2015 United States Grand Prix was the last straw for Nico Rosberg<\/p>\n While the title fight went down to the double points finale in 2014, Hamilton sealed the crown with three rounds to spare a year later. But the circumstances of his decisive United States Grand Prix victory were contentious.<\/p>\n Hamilton, starting second, bullied his way past his pole-sitting teammate at turn one. Rosberg, who took to the run-off, dropped down to fifth place.<\/p>\n While he managed to recover to second, he made his displeasure clear after the race. After Hamilton tossed Rosberg his podium cap, the German driver threw it right back.<\/p>\n According to Bianca Garloff, a reporter at F1-Insider, Rosberg decided at that point that he would totally commit himself to beating Hamilton. He won the next seven races either side of the winter break, setting him on course for the title.<\/p>\n \u201cOne race later in Mexico, Ralf [Bach, her colleague] and I sat down with him and wanted to tell him that he couldn\u2019t stand for such things,\u201d Garloff recalled. \u201cBut he just replied that he now realised it and that he would change.<\/p>\n \u201cThis constant counter-attack and attention to every detail was extremely tough for Nico mentally. He was a completely different person this year because he was solely focused on this duel with Lewis,\u201d<\/p>\n Lewis Hamilton knew exactly how to give Nico Rosberg a \u2018dagger to the heart\u2019 at Mercedes<\/p>\n Rosberg was only 31 when he retired, but the prevailing theory was that he invested so much mental energy into beating Hamilton that he was exhausted at the end of the year. The lifestyle required simply wasn\u2019t sustainable.<\/p>\n While he insists that he never plays mind games, Hamilton knew how to get Mercedes on side<\/a>. He would arrange meetings with the team\u2019s senior leadership, and it was like a \u2018dagger to the heart\u2019 when Rosberg found it.<\/p>\n![\"Lewis](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-494231992-1024x683.jpg\")
Photo by Mark Thompson\/Getty Images<\/p>\n