30/05/2014
NEWS STORY
A week after their relationship appeared to have hit rock bottom, Lewis Hamilton says he and Nico Rosberg are still friends.
"We've been friends a long time & as friends we have our ups & downs," the Briton tweeted, "Today we spoke & we're cool, still friends #noproblem", he added, along with a pic of the two in happier times, both on unicycles.
While battle resumes next week in Canada, many will breathe a sigh of relief, especially their Mercedes bosses, at this apparent cessation of hostilities.
Though the two have been friends since their early teens when they were racing one another in karts, this year, and the competitiveness of the Mercedes, has put their relationship under increasing strain as they fight for the title in equal equipment.
However, things took a turn for the worse last week, firstly when Hamilton claimed to be hungrier than the German, who, he claimed had enjoyed a privileged upbringing which left him less motivated, and then the controversial incident during qualifying.
As the weekend wore on, Hamilton's frustration and anger became ever more obvious, with talk of the pair now enjoying a relationship similar to Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost and all the nonsense that involved.
Speaking moments after the race, Hamilton, when asked about his relationship with Rosberg, snapped: "We're not friends, we're colleagues".
Whether today's message has been stage managed by the team or whether it is a genuine move towards reconciliation we do not know however, all should become clear in the coming weeks as the championship battle moves to Canada and back to Europe.
For now, let's hope that the two have resolved their differences... and without the need for a cheesy photo-call.
Chris Balfe