Nico Rosberg tells Mercedes’ new driver Valtteri Bottas he will not give away Lewis Hamilton’s secrets and hails former team-mate as ‘one of the best’
The 31-year-old German won the 2016 Formula One World Championship but retired just five days later
NICO ROSBERG has told new Mercedes man Valtteri Bottas he won't be giving away any secrets about his former arch-rival Lewis Hamilton.
And Rosberg, who sensationally quit Formula One after winning the 2016 title, admits it will take time for his own personal rift with the British racing superstar to heal.
Finn Bottas has been handed a one-year contract to replace Rosberg after his eleventh hour decision to go out at the top and forgo his £18 million a year deal to drive on at Mercedes.
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And Rosberg admitted: "He's asked me for a chat. I will do that but I will stay neutral and not give away Lewis' secrets for sure. I will tell him: don't expect an easy ride. It will be challenging coming into a new team when Lewis has been there for years. Lewis is one of the best out there and the standard is high."
The German beat Hamilton to the Championship title last year for the first time as Mercedes team-mates.
They had once been pals, having first raced against each other as kids on the karting circuit, but throughout their period together at Mercedes the duo clashed on the track with the rift eventually spilling over off it.
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Rosberg, speaking in Monaco ahead of tonight's Laureus Sports Awards where he has been nominated for Breakthrough of the Year, said: "It will take time to find a way back but the competition has gone so we can have some more relaxed moments. We were best friends 15 years ago and I'm open to having a better relationship with him in the future."
He also believes Bottas' short-term contract could leave the door open for a big-name option in 2018 such as Sebastian Vettel.
The 31 year-old said: "I understand that the Bottas solution made sense for Mercedes. Vettel's contract at Ferrari ends this year so he'd be a sensible option for Mercedes and one I'm sure they'll contemplate.
"He's one of the best drivers out there and doesn't have a contract for 2018. They should explore the possibility as it could be a good fit."
Rosberg also admits he has no regrets about his decision to walk away from the world of high-speed racing. He said: "I'm still enjoying my retirement.
It's a big change in my life and definitely there are some strange moments.
One of them was seeing a picture of Valterri with all my engineers. We were called Team Nico, maybe now it's Team Valterri.
"But I have freedom now, being able to plan my year the way I want. It's also about exploring new challenges and having got so much in the last few years, success in racing and a lovely family, I want to give something back."