Nico Rosberg recounts childhood accident with “complete nutcase” Lewis Hamilton

Nico Rosberg recounted a childhood memory with his former Formula 1 team-mate Lewis Hamilton during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend.

As the race at Spa-Francorchamps was delayed by 80 minutes due to adverse weather conditions, the 2016 champion took the opportunity to share a wild story from when he and Hamilton were close friends, branding the Ferrari driver a “complete nutcase”.

“We were always on holiday together because we were best friends at the time,” Rosberg explained to Sky Sports F1. “He was at my parents’ house. Always with an engine – we were full speed with everything.

“Lewis was proper nuts, he was nuts completely! I remember once we went jet-skiing together. I was on the back of him on the same jet ski. I had such a big shunt, I flew off in the biggest way. Then we went with two stand-up jet-skis. I watched him go off this giant wave, from the ferry. He did not lift. I have never seen someone go so high airborne.

“He came crashing down and knocked open his chin when he smacked down on the jet ski as he landed. So he was lying there half-unconscious! I had to go and check that he was okay. His chin was cut open. Complete nutcase…”

Rosberg and Hamilton were team-mates at Mercedes for four years between 2013 and 2016. After becoming childhood friends, their relationship became strained as their on-track rivalry intensified. But after Rosberg retired from F1 having won the championship in 2016, the pair eventually repaired their friendship and now have a “mutual” relationship.

Giving an update on his relationship with the seven-time champion, Rosberg added, “We live in the same building, so we catch up from time to time. We have a very nice and mutual relationship now.”

Nico Rosberg, SKY Sport

Photo by: Jakub Porzycki / NurPhoto / Getty Images

Hamilton crossed the line to finish seventh at the Belgian Grand Prix after starting from 18th, which Rosberg called a “super job”.

“Ferrari will be pleased Mercedes struggled because if they keep up their form, that helps a lot in the Constructors’ Championship a lot,” Rosberg explained to Sky Sports F1.

“I guess they will be generally quite positive. Nevertheless, they are still 20 seconds off McLaren which is a big chunk.”

Photos from Belgian GP – Race