When you spent years trading paint and championship points with someone in one of the biggest team rivalries Formula 1 had seen in decades, the polite thing after their big moment is to offer a few generous words. Nico Rosberg went further than that.
After Lewis Hamilton claimed his 106th career victory – and his first in Ferrari red – at the 2026 Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, Rosberg was asked directly whether he was proud of his former teammate. The answer was warmer than anyone who lived through those Mercedes years might have expected.
“I can honestly enjoy it with him,” Rosberg said. “I was very happy to congratulate him because it’s awesome. I really felt for the struggles he went through as he started his time with Ferrari. It was horrible to watch. And now he’s just thriving so well and flying, and confident, and enjoying it — and that’s just awesome. Trying to get this win is spectacular, it’s historic. So, a great day for him, for the sport.”
What Hamilton Actually Pulled Off in Barcelona
Hamilton took his maiden Ferrari victory at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with a three-stop strategy that systematically outpaced the two-stop approach favoured by both Mercedes drivers, aided by a well-timed Virtual Safety Car triggered by Fernando Alonso‘s Aston Martin failure.
His last win before Sunday had been at the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix, still in Silver Arrows colours.
The result swung even further in Hamilton’s favour when championship leader Kimi Antonelli retired with a front wing failure in the closing laps, just moments after he had cleared George Russell for second.
Hamilton now sits just 41 points behind Antonelli in the drivers’ standings.
The Hamilton-Rosberg rivalry reached boiling point in 2016, with two high-profile on-track collisions in Barcelona and Austria, before Rosberg held off Hamilton to claim the title at the final round in Abu Dhabi.
He retired immediately after, while Hamilton went on to claim four more world championships. The pair have maintained a working relationship through Rosberg’s punditry career since, but this was something a little more personal – credit given freely, without the asterisk.
Hamilton’s maiden Ferrari season in 2025 was painful viewing. Rosberg himself had described it as “one of the hardest times in racing in his life.”
The turnaround in 2026 has been substantial, and Rosberg – who perhaps understands better than anyone what it takes to put Hamilton under real pressure – sounds like he means it when he says it’s spectacular.
A rivalry that was defined by tension for years apparently now has enough distance to shine with respect. It’s lovely to see.
