“So Much Negativity”- Wolff Reveals Lewis Hamilton and Rosberg Fell Out “Early on” at Mercedes
Follow Us
via Reuters
Formula One F1 – Eifel Grand Prix – Nurburgring, Nurburg, Germany – Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton celebrates with teammates after winning the race Pool via REUTERS/Bryn Lennon
The rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg was something Mercedes struggled to handle during their team-up between 2013 to 2016.
Recently, during a podcast, Toto Wolff opened up about how the tables quickly turned from rivalry to animosity between the two drivers.
Toto revealed that Mercedes never understood the rivalry between Nico and Lewis as it kindled during their Karting days. “We shouldn’t be judgemental on the character side.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
“I like to speak to Nico today. And I think the things he does around sustainability are really good,” Toto told F1’s Beyond The Grid podcast.
via Reuters
Formula One F1 – Eifel Grand Prix – Nurburgring, Nurburg, Germany – October 11, 2020 Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas in action during the race Pool via REUTERS/Matthias Schrader
“Some things in the relationship between Nico and Lewis; we will never understand. Because it goes back many years from Go-Karting into junior Formulas.
“And how it all grew from camaraderie to rivalry to animosity is something we were spectators of,” he said. But the dynamics of what happened between them was very difficult to actually follow.”
Toto also said that their rivalry had already begun when he joined Mercedes back in 2013. By the time he could figure out what was going on, it was too late as the drivers became way too aggressive on and off the track.
It was difficult to manage Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg: Toto
Toto revealed how it was when he entered the team in 2013. “They just fell out pretty early on actually when I joined the team in 2013. And it got worse and worse and worse,” Toto said.
He also mentioned how difficult it was to manage their rivalry within the team. “It was very difficult. Because when you have so much negativity in the rooms.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Trending
Daniel Ricciardo To Be Replaced by Liam Lawson After Miami, F1 Pundit Dishes Out Harsh Verdict After Australian’s “Amateur Mistake”
April 17, 2024 11:14 AM EDT
Adrian Newey Hits Out at Climate Activist Lewis Hamilton’s Fuel Protest, Desperate to See V10 Engines Again
April 15, 2024 12:35 PM EDT
Max Verstappen “On Ice” as Return to China Goes Badly for Christian Horner and Co
April 19, 2024 10:58 AM EDT
Taylor Swift’s Tortured Poets Department Sends F1 Fans Into a Frenzy: “Its a Fernando Reference”
April 19, 2024 09:43 AM EDT
Who are Zhou Guanyu’s Parents? Everything We Know About The Chinese Driver’s Family
April 16, 2024 02:07 PM EDT
Get instantly notified of the hottest F1 stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.
Follow Us
Despite being the most dominating team on the grid at that time, Toto said, “there was a lot of negativity. And that would drag the whole room down.”
via Reuters
Formula One F1 – Eifel Grand Prix – Nurburgring, Nurburg, Germany – Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton celebrates after winning the race Pool via REUTERS/Bryn Lennon
“At we came to a point where we said, ‘that’s just not feasible anymore’. And we talked about it,” he said.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Lewis and Nico had multiple incidents with each other on the track, which led to a point where Mercedes implemented the team orders to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.
Although Toto said that he had a talk with both the drivers, the animosity was perennial. It was at that point that Rosberg won his first championship title and retired from Formula 1, that was when Mercedes breathed a sigh of relief.
Written by:
