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Rosberg: If Norris and Sainz want titles, they can't be friends

Photo: © LAT Images

Rosberg: If Norris and Sainz want titles, they can't be friends

No room for sentiment in championship races.

Former Formula 1 world champion Nico Rosberg believes McLaren team-mates Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz won’t be able to continue their friendship the way it is if they start competing for wins and potentially championships.

McLaren have a completely new driving line-up this year with Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne departing for Norris and Sainz. The younger duo have struck up an impressive partnership on the track as well as a burgeoning friendship off it, with the team currently sitting as ‘best of the rest’ in the constructors’ championship behind Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull.

Both are viewed as talented young drivers, and with new regulations set to be introduced in 2021 to level the playing field, they will find their chances of glory increasing.

However, Rosberg thinks if they were to get into a rivalry, then their friendship would not last.

“You can’t be friends,” the 2016 world champion said.

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"You can only be friends if there is a clear number one and two. If you have got two guys who are trying to beat each other, it is impossible to be friends.

“You are so ego-driven and within a team, the politics going on are so big. You are fighting for a world championship and there’s so much at stake that unfortunately, that becomes more important than friendship.

“They are racing for 10th place. If they were racing for a world championship, it would change rapidly, mark my words."

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