“The man who beat Lewis Hamilton in equal machinery”, is a comment that finds its way to almost every social media post related to Nico Rosberg. Well, after all, that’s what he did in 2016. He beat his teammate, who was also his arch-rival to take home his first and only World Championship. And if the phrase ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’ is something Rosberg abides by, he & Max Verstappen should be the best of friends. Even if they aren’t, their thoughts couldn’t be more alike. A love for F1 like none other and a mutual hate for Netflix’s ‘Drive to Survive’ unites them.

The world of F1 was taken by storm on March 8, 2019. Netflix released ‘Drive to Survive’, hooking existing fans to their devices with an inside view of the Pinnacle of Motorsport, and attracting millions of new ones. But what it also did was leave the world divided. While some loved the docuseries, others couldn’t help but loathe the ‘over-dramatized’ show. Max Verstappen belonged to the latter club and has slammed Netflix time and again for the concocted nature of the show. Now joining him is Nico Rosberg.

In a recent interview with City A.M., the ex-Mercedes star was asked how he’d feel if Netflix had made its way to the paddock way back in 2016. “No, no, no, that would be horrible,” Rosberg exclaimed. “That would have been horrible because it would have taken concentration away from me actually winning the championship. That would have been a disaster. What F1 did so well with Netflix is that it’s a reality TV show. They got lucky that select individuals like Guenther Steiner or some of the team bosses really accepted to be real, even taking the risks associated with that.”

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So, now there are 2 World Champions in the ‘Drive to Survive’ dislike club. In case this statement of his feels like a bold one, hold your horses, you won’t expect what’s coming.

Nico Rosberg thanks Lewis Hamilton for fueling the 2016 World Championship

There are barely any teammate battles post the Turbo-Hybrid era that even come close to matching Lewis Hamilton & Nico Rosberg’s rivalry. 2 of the World’s best drivers, in the quickest car on the grid, miles ahead of their competitors. What could go wrong for the team? In the larger sense of things, nothing did. They won multiple World Championships. But what was so special about 2016 that made the German win?

Rosberg had taken extreme measures to win his sole title in 2016. He stopped eating ice creams, cut holes in his car seat, and even shortened his socks to reduce the weight of the car. But the main driving force behind all this was Hamilton’s brilliance. Rosberg said, “Lewis was such an engine, he pushed everyone so hard, that without him I would never have achieved what I did.”

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Maybe, if Netflix had thought of the idea they had a few years earlier, they would have had a masterpiece on their hands. Nonetheless, the show worked out for F1. And at the end of the day, likes and dislikes are a part of the world of fame.