Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, and the rivalry with Rosberg – Part 1

To celebrate Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari, FanF1 invites you to revisit his twelve seasons with Mercedes. The first episode focuses on the period from 2013 to 2016.

Behind the scenes at Mercedes, a quiet technical revolution was reshaping Formula 1, while a simmering rivalry between two teammates was turning the paddock into a dramatic stage. When Lewis Hamilton left McLaren to join Mercedes, then mid-table, at the start of 2013, few could have predicted the cascade of events that would soon follow.

2013 was a test of patience. Hamilton, fresh from a victorious season at McLaren, joined a team that had won only one race since its return in 2010 and had fallen to fifth place in the constructors' championship. Yet his consistency shone through despite a car that was less competitive than Red Bull's dominant V8s. Five podium finishes, capped by a decisive victory in Hungary, propelled him to fourth place in the drivers' championship, 18 points ahead of his teammate Nico Rosberg, and helped Mercedes climb to second place in the constructors' standings, just behind the Austrian powerhouse. The following year marked a technological turning point. The switch to 1.6-liter V6 turbo-hybrid engines directly benefited Mercedes' long-term development plans. The German engine became the benchmark, and the team's quiet and efficient engines translated into supremacy on the track. Six consecutive wins at the start of the season, including five one-two finishes, underscored Mercedes' new dominance. The duel within the team intensified: Hamilton and Rosberg battled for the lead in Bahrain, but the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa ended in a spectacular collision that saw Rosberg finish second while Hamilton retired. Despite the tension, Hamilton won his second world title, winning 11 of the 19 races and cementing his status as the undisputed leader within the team.

By 2015, the Mercedes hierarchy, consisting of Toto Wolff, Niki Lauda, technical director Paddy Lowe, and chief engineer Peter Bonnington, had built a winning machine around Hamilton. In the first race in Australia, the Briton and Rosberg dominated the podiums and, in the first nine rounds, they shared the victories, with only the Malaysian Grand Prix eluding them. Rosberg's retirements in Italy and Russia midway through the season gave Hamilton a decisive advantage, allowing him to win a third championship and join an elite list that includes Senna, Brabham, Stewart, Lauda, and Piquet. His record for the season: 10 wins and 17 podium finishes in 19 races.

The 2016 season began with Rosberg on fire, winning the first four races in an attempt to reverse the trend of the previous two years. The rivalry reached its peak in Barcelona. Starting from pole position, Rosberg was overtaken at the start, and when Hamilton attempted a move on the inside of Turn 4, Rosberg swerved onto the grass, forcing Hamilton off the track. Both cars ended up in the gravel, ending their race and sparking a new wave of animosity that would mark the rest of the season. Over the course of those four years, Mercedes went from being a struggling midfield team to the benchmark in the sport, thanks to strategic engineering choices and a driver duo whose personal rivalry accelerated the team's evolution. The story of Hamilton's transfer, the turbo-hybrid advantage, and the rivalry between Rosberg and Hamilton illustrates how internal competition can propel a manufacturer to the top of Formula 1. This race will be remembered for several reasons: it was marked by a collision between the two title contenders, and Max Verstappen claimed his first Formula 1 victory on his debut for Red Bull. Nevertheless, the Silver Arrows regained their dominance at the following Grand Prix in Monaco. From the sixth round in the Principality to the finale in Abu Dhabi, only the Malaysian Grand Prix escaped the Hamilton-Rosberg duel – and that's where the former McLaren driver saw his title hopes vanish. With fifteen laps to go, his Mercedes engine failed, leaving the field open for the two Red Bulls and his teammate.

Nico Rosberg thus won his only Formula 1 championship with a lead of just five points. Exhausted by an intense season and his battle with Hamilton, the Wiesbaden native announced his retirement in tears a few days after his triumph. Lewis Hamilton's statistics from 2013 to 2016