Nico Rosberg labels Lewis Hamilton the GOAT of F1 amidst Ferrari switch

With Nico Rosberg having first-hand experience of fighting Lewis Hamilton for a championship, he asserted the latter to be the GOAT of F1.

Nico Rosberg labels Lewis Hamilton the GOAT of F1 amidst Ferrari switch

Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg (via IMAGO).

Lewis Hamilton is statistically the greatest F1 driver. He has amassed seven world championship titles and eye-staggering 105 wins. However, fans still debate about his greatness when compared to other F1 legends. Despite him having a bitter rivalry with ex-teammate Nico Rosberg, the 39-year-old labeled Hamilton as the GOAT of F1.

Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton were friends off the track before making it into F1. The pair used to race each other in karts and the German-Finnish driver was the first one to get behind the wheel of an F1 car, while Hamilton made his debut the following year (2007). Their friendship soon evolved and they became teammates at Mercedes in 2013.

YouTube video

On the other hand, the German giant hit the jackpot with the turbo-hybrid era and dominated the grid. This gave both Hamilton and Rosberg a chance to win the drivers’ title. However, this soured their relationship as the Briton got the better of Rosberg initially.

FS Video

Despite this, Rosberg was able to get his redemption in 2016 and retired from the grid. Since then, the pair’s relationship has also gotten better and have revered each other for their achievements. He then claimed the 39-year-old to be the greatest F1 driver ever and deemed Hamilton to be a natural talent.

He’s the greatest of all time, a natural talent like there’s never been before in F1.

Nico Rosberg said (via Sky Sports F1 podcast).

Rosberg has been part taking in F1 weekends since his retirement at the end of the 2016 season. However, his contribution has changed drastically as he has taken a role of a journalist during his paddock reviews, while Hamilton is repping himself to move to Maranello.

Has Lewis Hamilton lost his edge in F1?

The seven-time champion would soon be seen draping the elusive red outfit on the grid. However, his 2024 campaign was a mediocre one at best that he would like to forget. Though he scored two wins, Hamilton often found himself getting eliminated in Q1 for race weekends, which tarred his reputation as a fierce F1 driver.

Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton, image via IMAGO

Subsequently, two-time F1 champion Mika Hakkinen recalled the story behind his retirement. He decided to call off his illustrious career in F1 after winning two world titles in 1998 and 1999 as he reckoned that he was not in his prime anymore.

Well, I tell you what, I retired in 2001 and, in that year, 2001, I started losing my edge. Sometimes I was very quick. Sometimes I wasn’t there. I lost two or three-tenths and those two or three-tenths are a big, big problem… What’s happening with Lewis is impossible to comment on, what’s happening in his mind and on what’s happening at the moment, why the performance is not there 100 percent. I’m not the right person to answer for that – it’s Lewis, but that was my story

Mika Hakkinen said (via PlanetF1)

Using his story as an example, the Finnish driver advised Hamilton to stay honest to the Scuderia. However, Ferrari is adamant that Hamilton is the right choice and the Briton would be gearing up to prove his critics wrong over the 2025 season.