Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg's 2016 crash at the Spanish Grand Prix intensified their already strained rivalry.
Nine years after the dramatic collision between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, Rosberg has revisited the incident that further escalated tensions between the two Mercedes teammates. The crash, which ended bothdrivers‘ races in Barcelona, remains a defining moment in their fierce championship battle.
Details of the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix Collision
Before the Spanish Grand Prix started, Hamilton secured pole position, with Rosberg alongside him on the front row at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. However, the race lasted barely four corners before a high-stakes crash unfolded, ending bothdrivers’ hopes in that race. Speaking with Sky Sports F1 ahead of the 2025 Spanish GP, Rosberg revisited the events leading to the crash.
He explained the sequence, saying,
“So I took the lead round the outside of Lewis and I had the wrong engine setting and that slowed me down on the way to Turn Four,”
which set up a dangerous contest for space on the track.
Rosberg described the intense battle, noting,
“And Lewis tried to go for the inside. I blocked very late, very aggressively. He went over the grass and on the data, we could see he never lifted, he kept flat on the grass, which is unbelievable. Then of course it came to the collision, which really is the worst case. And it’s also dangerous.”
Impact of the Crash on Their Relationship and the Team Dynamic
The crash did not just end their race but further damaged an already strained relationship between Hamilton and Rosberg. Rosberg reflected on the internal fallout from that incident, saying,
“It was already bad, so it didn’t really change too much. It just made it even worse. It was an extremely intense and difficult situation to manage internally. Lewis and I not speaking and trying to… and also the internal politics and who’s on whose side and who’s to blame… It was very tough.”
Tensions between the two Mercedes drivers were known throughout the 2016 season as they competed fiercely for the championship. The collision illustrated the immense pressure and hostility present within the team at the time.
Mercedes Team’s Response to the Incident
Team principal Toto Wolff acknowledged the situation after the crash, admitting,
Image of: Lewis Hamilton
“We let the drivers race, and sometimes this is what happens,”
which suggested a hands-off approach initially. However, the fallout forced the team to reconsider how to manage such internal rivalries.
The late Niki Lauda, serving as a non-executive chairman at Mercedes, was far more critical. He condemned the incident as unacceptable, emphasizing the recklessness involved. Lauda stated,
Completely unnecessary, I would say, For me, the disaster is that both are out after two corners is for me unacceptable. Lewis was too aggressive to pass him, and why should Nico give him room? He was in the lead. It was a miscalculation in Lewis’s head, I blame him more than Nico. But for the team, for Mercedes, it is unacceptable.
Following this, Lauda worked to implement firmer guidelines within Mercedes to control the intensity of the rivalry, including stricter rules of engagement and tougher penalties, even threatening contract terminations if incidents repeated.
Consequences and Legacy of the 2016 Season
Despite the rivalry and the crashes, Nico Rosberg managed to capture the 2016 World Drivers’ Championship, edging Hamilton by just five points. At the pinnacle of his career, Rosberg announced his retirement shortly after securing the title, underscoring the toll the fierce competition had taken on him.
The 2016 crash at the Spanish Grand Prix remains one of the most intense moments between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg 2016 crash and highlights the high stakes and pressure within Mercedes that year. The incident shaped team dynamics and introduced new protocols to manage driver relationships in future seasons, impacting the trajectory of bothdrivers’ careers.
