Carpooling N. Rosberg: “I put my life on hold” to beat Hamilton

Before the start of the 2020 season, he is the only man to have beaten Lewis Hamilton since the start of the Hybrid era in Formula 1. Nico Rosberg agreed to take AUTOhebdo for a short lap of the Paul-Ricard circuit aboard a Honda NSX for the 1 F2020 Guide, available in digital version and on newsstands.

To make your mouth water, we offer you an extract from the Carpooling with the young retiree from Formula 1. The German looks back on his merciless duel with his teammate Lewis Hamilton over three seasons, until obtaining the world title in 2016, not without sacrifice. 

A few days after defeating the Englishman, the son of 1982 champion Keke Rosberg announced that he was hanging up his helmet to everyone's surprise. “A lot of things came together that made the decision to stop become obvious to me. The intensity was such that I didn't have the strength to relive it, he admits.

Even if I wanted to, I couldn't have. I flew so high that I burned my wings. We can't give everything at this point, season after season. And to have a chance of beating Hamilton, you have to give everything! I say “have a chance”. This is not guaranteed. Also, I had achieved my lifelong dream: becoming world champion! I had reached my Grail. »

To reach the top, Nico Rosberg had to push his limits, and also play with his opponent's nerves. “(Destabilizing him) was the only possible way, at least I didn’t see any other. It was at Suzuka that I understood that the shell was starting to crack, when he went into his Snapchat delirium at a press conference. The next day, he missed his departure. All of this plays a role, it may seem small, but it changes everything. »

The 2016 campaign, marked by several incidents and even clashes between the two Mercedes, was according to Nico Rosberg "the sum of experiences lived during all these years of competition, especially those alongside Michael Schumacher (between 2010 and 2012. Editor’s note). 

I put everything together, leaving everything else aside. I put my life on hold for several months. In 2016, I didn't allow myself the slightest sprain to my program. I worked a lot on my mind with a French psychologist, two hours every two days. Become harder, visualize that. The difference between Lewis and me was so small that the most insignificant detail suddenly took on enormous importance. »

Find the entire Carpool with Nico Rosberg in AUTO’s F1 2020 Guidehebdo, available in digital version and on newsstands.