PARIS (AP) – Lewis Hamilton’s bid to regain his Formula One title might actually prove harder without Nico Rosberg around.
Rosberg retired days after becoming the 2016 world champion and finally getting the better of Hamilton, ending their acrimonious rivalry at Mercedes just as he got the upper hand.
With Rosberg gone, a key factor this season – starting Sunday with the Australian Grand Prix – will be how three-time champion Hamilton gets on with his new teammate.
Valtteri Bottas was plucked from Williams after Rosberg’s shock announcement. The calm Finnish driver is seen as the perfect foil for the tempestuous Hamilton, an outspoken driver not afraid to stand up to management.
A perfect match in theory, perhaps not in reality.