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“I’m Here in Business, I’m Not Here to Make Friends” – Lewis Hamilton at the Height of Mercedes F1 Rivalry With Rosberg

Published 12/20/2021, 8:48 AM EST

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Lewis Hamilton joined the Mercedes F1 team in the 2013 season, replacing Michael Schumacher. He has dominated the turbo-hybrid era, winning six of the last eight drivers’ championships. The Briton had a fierce rivalry with teammate Nico Rosberg during their time at Mercedes.

The two drivers were at the height of their powers and this often led to friction within the team. Recently, a clip resurfaced on social media where Hamilton was making a point for himself in that rivalry. The Briton defended his aggressive driving and pushing to the limits on the track while going up against the German.

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Many netizens found parallels between his rivalry with Rosberg to the one with Verstappen in the latest 2021 season. The two front-runners had some fierce battles on the track, causing several collisions and a few crashes as well.

Lewis Hamilton is not here to make friends

The two then Mercedes drivers shared a good relationship early in their association. Even in the initial phase of the rivalry, they repeatedly insisted that their friendship would survive the aggravation and stress of fighting each other for the World Championship. However, that wasn’t the case.

The atmosphere in the team kept on deteriorating as the two drivers even refused to share a room at one point. In an old interview, Hamilton strictly made a point that he was not in F1 to make friends. He refused to compromise on the track and give his opponent even an inch.

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“You have to be tough. Can’t be nice out there. You can’t be, hey here’s some space. Rather, you say I’m taking it. I’m here in business, I’m not here to make friends,” said the seven-time world champion.

Hamilton Vs Rosberg in Extreme E

The F1 battle between the two world champions concluded at the end of the 2016 season. Rosberg bid adieu to the sport citing family reasons and Hamilton never looked back, winning back-to-back championships from 2017 to 20. Their rivalry has taken another shape; the teams owned by the two drivers compete in the Extreme E championship.

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The two teams had a final showdown on Sunday in Dorset, UK. Nico Rosberg had the last laugh as Rosberg X Racing clinched the title.

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Lewis Hamilton had an intense title battle with Max Verstappen. Rightly so, F1 fans see glimpses of that epic rivalry in the current one. With new regulations in place, let’s see how intense it really gets in the 2022 season between the Briton and the Dutchman. Tell us your views on the same.

Max Verstappen Laughs Off His Extravagant Pre-Season Prediction

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Written by:

Rituraj Tripathi

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Rituraj Tripathi is an F1 author at EssentiallySports. A true lover of speed, he is big fan of Lewis Hamilton and finds a future world champion in Lando Norris. Rituraj eagerly looks forward to the paddock moving to the Circuit de Monaco, and he finds Portier corner as the most exciting part of the track.
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