13/02/2017
NEWS STORY
Having admitted that he resorted to psychology and yoga in his efforts to take on Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg has made it clear to his replacement, Valtteri Bottas, not to expect the Briton to make things easy for him.
Having known one another since their early teens, Rosberg and Hamilton were close friends, a friendship that continued as the pair moved up the racing ladder and into F1. However, once they found themselves paired up at Mercedes things took a serious turn for the worse, the pair clashing on and off track in a rivalry that, at times, was more than a little unsettling to watch.
As Bottas prepares for his 'baptism of fire', Rosberg has warned him to expect the worst, while also insisting he will not give the Finn any 'trade secrets'.
"I would tell him don't expect an easy ride, that's for sure," he told reporters in Monaco ahead of the Laureus World Sport Awards.
"It's going to be challenging coming into a new team with Lewis having been there for so many years and with the new regulations," he added. "Lewis is one of the best out there so the level is extremely high. At the same time Valtteri is very talented. He can achieve great things as well, as long as the team give him a good car.
"He's asked if we can have a chat soon and I am happy to do that," he revealed, referring to Bottas, "but I will stay very, very neutral. I won't give away any Lewis secrets. I'll just help him in a way to integrate better into the team."
While Rosberg and Hamilton have yet to re-establish a friendship anything like what it was prior to their partnering at Mercedes, the German has hopes for the future.
"We've already had some nice, relaxed moments so who knows, I am open to having a better relationship with him again in the future. After all, we were best friends 15 years ago."