F1 champion Nico Rosberg claims 'inevitable' Lewis Hamilton-style clash with rival drivers

The 2016 United States Grand Prix podium — Photo: © IMAGO

Mercedes

F1 champion claims 'inevitable' Lewis Hamilton-style clash with rival drivers

George Russell and Kimi Antonelli are fighting for the title at Mercedes

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Tuesday 12 May 2026 09:45

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F1 champion Nico Rosberg has suggested that two current drivers on the F1 grid are set for a rivalry similar to his and Lewis Hamilton's.

Hamilton and Rosberg were team-mates at Mercedes between 2013-2016, and when Mercedes became the dominant team in the sport in 2014, they were involved in three consecutive world championship battles.

Hamilton won the title in 2014 and 2015, before Rosberg won in 2016.

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A number of fiery clashes occurred between the drivers during those seasons, however, most memorably at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix when they crashed into one another, something that Mercedes boss Toto Wolff recently revealed made him temporarily sack both drivers.

After winning the 2016 championship, Rosberg opted to retire from the sport at the age of just 31, and he now works as a broadcaster for Sky Sports F1 and Sky Germany. He revealed only recently that he and Hamilton had repaired their relationship.

Now, Rosberg has suggested that Mercedes' current drivers could be set for the same fate.

Mercedes are clearly the dominant force once again in 2026, meaning George Russell and Kimi Antonelli have been thrust into a championship battle against one another.

While the teenager and his much more experienced team-mate get on well, Antonelli has now shown up Russell at each of the last three grand prix weekends, and he leads the drivers' championship by 20 points after four grand prix weekends.

"Of course, a clash between the two of them is bound to happen," Rosberg told Gazzetta about the current Mercedes driver lineup.

"We’ve already seen how close they are, and it’s inevitable that it will happen, especially if a title is at stake."

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Can Antonelli bring home the championship?

There's no doubt that Antonelli's start to the season has been impressive, but the Italian is only in his second season in the sport and is likely to still make the kinds of mistakes that won't affect the much more experienced Russell.

Russell admitted at the Miami Grand Prix that it just wasn't a strong track of his, but he will now need to prove his worth against his team-mate at the Canadian Grand Prix next time out, which is historically one of his favourite tracks.

Russell won the Canadian GP last year, while in 2024 he claimed a podium alongside Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.

Both drivers have to be on high alert following the resurgence of the likes of McLaren and Red Bull.

A poor performance in either qualifying or a race now will likely mean fighting for a top-five position, rather than the guaranteed second position that it was at the start of the season.

Russell found that out the hard way in Miami, qualifying down in fifth and finishing the race in fourth, losing ground to race winner Antonelli in the championship.

Time will tell whether or not the pair embark on a Hamilton vs Rosberg-style rivalry, but Wolff will want to maintain the harmony between his two drivers.

F1 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes George Russell Kimi Antonelli Nico Rosberg