Nico Rosberg reveals Lewis Hamilton’s title defeat by Max Verstappen caused him ‘incredible pain’

Nico Rosberg insists former Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton’s defeat in Abu Dhabi left him feeling ‘incredible pain’.

Hamilton, 36, lost the world title to Red Bull driver Verstappen, 24, in controversial fashion last month when the Dutchman overtook him on the final lap of the season finale in the UAE.

FIA race director Michael Masi allowed five cars to pass the safety car deployed following Williams’ Nicholas Latifi’s crash, handing Verstappen a huge advantage on fresh tyres for the final lap.

Nico Rosberg insists Lewis Hamilton’s defeat in Abu Dhabi left him feeling ‘incredible pain’

Hamilton lost the world title last month when Max Verstappen overtook him on the final lap of the season finale

Seven-time world champion Hamilton was magnanimous in defeat in the post-race interview but has since maintained his silence, with his brother claiming he is taking a break from ‘very toxic’ social media after unfollowing everybody on Instagram. 

But German Rosberg – who raced with Hamilton between 2013 and 2016 – has insisted he was left similarly heartbroken following the FIA’s ‘strange’ decision in the final race of the season.

‘I felt pain, incredible pain,’ he told the Cross Country Rally YouTube channel via Planet F1.

‘I don’t have anything to do with Mercedes now, but of course it’s my family from before, and an incredible pain.

Hamilton congratulated Verstappen (above) in the post-race interview but has since maintained his silence

Rosberg (L) – who raced with Hamilton between 2013 and 2016 – was left similarly heartbroken

‘They were 99 per cent sure they were going to win the World Championship until there were three laps to go.

‘After losing it, and losing it in a fight like that, where they couldn’t do anything because the tyres had 50 laps on them… unbelievable pain.

‘It’s a shame it ended up like that with a bit of a strange decision by the FIA.’

Speculation over Hamilton’s future continues to mount, with former F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone declaring the seven-time winner will retire, while Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff admitted Hamilton was ‘still wavering in emotions’ after losing the title to Verstappen.

‘He won the World Championship until the last lap, and then everything is taken away from you from one second [to the next],’ Wolff told Motorsport-Total.com.

Toto Wolff admitted Hamilton was ‘still wavering in emotions’ after losing to Verstappen

‘Of course you lose faith because you can’t understand what has just happened.’

Wolff had previously admitted Hamilton was ‘disillusioned’ with F1 and would never get over the ending in Abu Dhabi, but insisted he was ready to help the seven-time world champion ‘overcome the pain that was caused upon him.’

The Mercedes team principal added: ‘I am in a daily dialogue with him. But there is not a lot to talk [about] at the moment. Each of us copes in their own way with the feelings we have at the moment.

‘I just need to do the utmost I can to help him to overcome the feelings that he has in order for him to return strong with a love of the sport and trust in the decision-making of the sport next year.’