Nico Rosberg reveals the moment he was so ‘scared’ when battling Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes

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Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri’s 2025 F1 title fight is the first intra-team battle for the championship that the sport has seen since Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg’s sparring matches throughout the beginning of the turbo-hybrid era in 2014.

Piastri currently leads his McLaren teammate by 34 points in the F1 standings, with the gap increasing at the Dutch GP following Norris’ unfortunate retirement from the race in the closing stages.

Martin Brundle has shared the advice he would give Norris if he were in the McLaren garage in order to get one over on his papaya teammate. The 25-year-old needs to get the misfortune in Zandvoort out of his head if he is to mount a comeback on his counterpart.

The issue was one that McLaren had never seen before, so the chances of it being replicated again in a future race should be extremely slim.

However, the chances are never zero, as McLaren’s engine supplier, Mercedes, suffered an engine issue during FP1 in Monza with George Russell.

READ MORE: All you need to know about McLaren F1 Team from team principal to engine

Nico Rosberg recalls being in the same position as Oscar Piastri in the lead of the F1 championship

Speaking as part of Sky Sports F1’s coverage of the Italian Grand Prix, Rosberg recalled his own experience of leading a championship in the second half of a season, and how it mentally affected him going into each Grand Prix.

“I was in this situation that they’re in, fighting for a world championship,” Rosberg told his co-hosts after FP3 in Monza (12:50 06/09).

“When I was the favourite, I remember I was not able to win races anymore, because I was just so scared of losing the championship, because it’s all mine to lose. The other guy is almost out of it. 

“That fear of messing up, and the pressure, just builds, and you’re so close to your big dream that you start to make a little bit more mistakes, and driving becomes more difficult, because mentally, you don’t have the same capacity.”

Rosberg is referring to his championship-winning year of 2016 with Mercedes. With just four rounds to go, the German driver held a 33-point advantage over Hamilton.

The now seven-time world champion was perfect in the final four races, with Rosberg having to settle for second place in all four races as he won his first title by just five points.

Norris out-qualified Piastri in Monza, already bouncing back from his retirement in Zandvoort. It is the first of many steps for the British driver to take for him to start clawing back his current deficit in the standings.

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family

Nico Rosberg believes Oscar Piastri won’t be ‘impacted’ negatively by having a championship lead

Rosberg was asked whether he thinks his own experience will also be an experience that is shared by Piastri during the final nine rounds of the season, including this weekend in Monza. The 2016 world champion isn’t sure if the Australian driver is cut from the same cloth as him.

“That’s the problem for Lando,” Rosberg said. “Oscar is so solid that I think he is the type of driver where it doesn’t make it more stressful for him now; he’s always the same.

“I really think he would be the one driver that wouldn’t be impacted too much by suddenly becoming the absolute favourite. But I think it’s more on Lando, that he’s gonna improve so much. That’s where we’re gonna see the huge difference.”

Both drivers will have to beat Max Verstappen off the line in Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix after the Dutchman took his fifth pole position of the 2025 season.

Norris is expecting a ‘challenge’ from Verstappen as he looks to get an advantage over his McLaren teammate.