Nico Rosberg joked that his former F1 rival Lewis Hamilton is still banned from entering his house despite the mountain of Christmas gifts.
And as Hamilton plays the role of Santa Claus, it turns out the gifts are for his superfans, Rosberg’s two daughters.
Rosberg jokes Lewis Hamilton ‘has to stop at the door’
Rosberg and Hamilton went from friends to bitter rivals as they chased title glory as Mercedes team-mates, Hamilton winning the 2014 and 2015 crowns before Rosberg struck back in 2016, after which Rosberg quickly announced his retirement from Formula 1.
Hamilton went on to add another four World Championships to his name, equalling Michael Schumacher’s tally of seven as he now readies himself to chase that record eighth with the Ferrari team where Schumacher became an F1 icon.
And it turns out that Rosberg’s two daughters will be cheering Hamilton on all the way.
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In an appearance on the NDR Talkshow in Germany, Rosberg was asked to confirm that in a ‘weak point’ for him, his daughters are ‘absolute Lewis Hamilton fans’.
“That’s true, yes,” Rosberg replied.
Smiling, the winner of 23 grands prix added: “That’s even more than a weak point! That’s a big problem, a big problem.”
And Hamilton does not forget his superfans in the Rosberg household at Christmas time, with presents always left at the door.
“No, it’s great, nice of him,” said Rosberg. “Because we had such an enmity so to speak.
“And now, every Christmas, both children have a huge pack of gifts from him in front of the door.
“So that’s a nice approach.”
However, we are not quite at the point yet where Hamilton can come in to hand out the gifts himself.
After the host joked that Hamilton is not allowed to come in at Christmas, Rosberg laughed and quipped: “No, he has to stop at the door.
“Thank you, then that’s good!”
Hamilton’s 12-season, record-breaking stint with Mercedes came to a close after the F1 2024 season, the Brit activating a release clause in his contract to agree a multi-year deal with Ferrari, where he will find Charles Leclerc as his new team-mate.
The arrival of Hamilton at Maranello meant Carlos Sainz was forced to find a new home on the F1 grid, duly signing a multi-year deal with Williams.
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