Nico Rosberg: Forever grateful to Max Verstappen for that

Nico Rosberg: “I’ll be forever grateful to Max Verstappen for that.”

The 2016 Formula 1 world champion made the admission on the Beyond The Grid podcast, nearly a decade after the title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Rosberg and his then-Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton arrived at the final race of the season locked in a bitter championship battle.

Rosberg knew he only needed a top-three finish to secure the title.

Hamilton knew it too.

During the race, Hamilton deliberately slowed the field down, trying to push Rosberg into the clutches of the cars behind.

Rosberg had pitted early for fresh tires, which left him vulnerable.

He found himself behind Max Verstappen, who was still on older tires and not ready to pit.

Behind Rosberg, Kimi Räikkönen and Sebastian Vettel were closing fast.

Then came the radio call that Rosberg says he will never forget.

His race engineer, Tony Ross, told him: “Your title is on the line. You have to overtake Max within the next two laps.”

Rosberg’s reaction, as he recalled on the podcast, was blunt: “What? You don’t just overtake Max Verstappen like that.”

Despite the shock, Rosberg found a way past the Red Bull driver.

He crossed the line in second place, behind winner Hamilton and ahead of Vettel.

That result clinched the 2016 World Championship for Rosberg.

But the moment that stuck with him most was the overtake itself.

“It was an outstanding manoeuvre, and for that I’ll be forever grateful to Max Verstappen, because he was fair and gave me enough space,” Rosberg said.

“Truly grateful forever – thank you very much.”

He then described what happened immediately after the pass.

“Once it was over, my foot on the accelerator started shaking so badly – from the fear and all the adrenaline, it was uncontrollable,” Rosberg said.

“I’ve never had that experience again. I’d never had it before either. My foot was uncontrollable because of all the adrenaline.”

The 2016 season was one of the most intense teammate battles in Formula 1 history.

Rosberg and Hamilton, who had been friends since childhood, saw their relationship deteriorate as the championship fight escalated.

There were collisions on track, tense team meetings, and a growing rift that never fully healed.

Rosberg announced his retirement from Formula 1 just days after winning the title, a decision that shocked the paddock.

He later said he no longer wanted to make the sacrifices the sport demanded.

But the memory of that overtake on Verstappen has stayed with him.

Verstappen, then 19 years old and in his second full F1 season, was already known for his aggressive defending.

Earlier that year, Verstappen had drawn criticism for his defensive moves in Spain and Hungary.

In Abu Dhabi, however, he gave Rosberg just enough room.

Rosberg has acknowledged that Verstappen could have made the pass far more difficult.

Had Verstappen squeezed him harder or forced contact, Rosberg’s championship hopes could have ended right there.

Instead, Verstappen left space, and Rosberg took it.

The overtake itself has become part of Formula 1 lore.

It is often cited as an example of Verstappen’s racing intelligence — knowing when to fight and when to let a title contender through.

Rosberg’s gratitude, expressed nearly ten years later, underscores how high the stakes were.

A single corner decided a world championship.

And the driver on the receiving end of that corner still remembers every detail.

Rosberg’s podcast appearance also touched on the broader context of the 2016 season.

He described the mental toll of racing Hamilton, a driver he had known since their karting days.