‘Grey’ Nico Rosberg looked borderline unwell after beating Lewis Hamilton to 2016 F1 title

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A ‘grey’ Nico Rosberg looked borderline unwell after successfully beating Lewis Hamilton to the 2016 Formula 1 title.

The 2016 F1 season will go down in history as one of the most memorable, with childhood friends turned teammates Hamilton and Rosberg fighting for the world championship.

The Mercedes pair were involved in multiple incidents on the track, which led to the deterioration of their friendship.

In the end, the title battle went down to the wire, with Rosberg winning his maiden world championship by finishing five points above Hamilton. 

How can Toto Wolff avoid a Hamilton-Rosberg situation with Kimi Antonelli and George Russell this season?

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‘Grey’ Nico Rosberg looked borderline unwell after beating Lewis Hamilton to 2016 F1 title

While winning the world championship kick-started wild celebrations in the Rosberg camp, it was revealed that the German looked a little worse for wear when doing his post-race media duties.

According to Sky Sports reporter Rachel Brookes, Rosberg looked ‘grey’ as he conducted his interview.

In her new book, ‘F1 Racing Drive’, Brookes admitted that she was left ‘shocked’ by Rosberg’s appearance.

She wrote: “I will never forget how Nico Rosberg looked in the driver interview pen after the race in Abu Dhabi in 2016 after he became world champion.

“He was pale, I would go as far as to say he was grey, his eyes sunken, and the life looked like it had been sucked out of him. I was shocked by his appearance.

“But I put it down to a hot weekend and a hard-fought race at the end of a long, tough season. What I didn’t know at the time was how much fighting for that title had taken out of him.

“And five days later, he would retire from the sport. In fact, it took him seconds to decide to retire from the sport.”

READ MORE: Mercedes mechanics taunted Lewis Hamilton with pictures of Nico Rosberg in F1 motorhome

Brookes went on to add that Rosberg later revealed he decided to retire from the sport shortly after crossing the finishing line in Abu Dhabi.

While Rosberg decided to step away from F1 at the top of the tree, Hamilton went on to win four more titles. 

Currently, the 41-year-old is searching for his first win as a Ferrari driver, having joined the team from Mercedes at the start of the 2025 season.

So far in 2026, Hamilton has secured his first podium for the Scuderia, which came at the Chinese Grand Prix.

This weekend, F1 returns to a track that Hamilton knows well, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Canada, where the Brit secured his first-ever victory.

With Ferrari looking to improve after a disappointing Miami Grand Prix, Hamilton will also be hoping to challenge at the front of the grid.