Lewis Hamilton’s surprise gesture for daughters of former arch-rival Nico Rosberg
Lewis Hamilton has been working on mending his relationship with Nico Rosberg with a touching gesture to his former rival's daughters.
The former Mercedes teammates were childhood friends but their connection infamously broke down during the 2016 F1 season.
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Hamilton and Rosberg raced together in junior competitions, but their relationship broke down during their stint at the Silver Arrows.
German-born driver Rosberg beat Hamilton to the Drivers' World Championship by five points in 2016.
It was the only title that evaded the Brit superstar from 2014 to 2020 and came after a heated battle between the former friends.
The pair were involved in high-profile collisions at the Spanish and Austrian Grands Prix, and Rosberg ultimately retired shortly after winning his only championship at just 31 years old.
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Almost eight years since he walked away from the grid, Rosberg has admitted that Hamilton has worked on repairing their friendship.
The seven-time world champion regularly sends gifts to his two young daughters Naila and Alaia.
Speaking to German publication Suddeutsche Zeitung, Rosberg said: "Lewis and I have repaired our friendship.
"We see each other from time to time. Every Christmas my daughters receive a huge box full of gifts from him."
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Rosberg debuted in F1 a year before Hamilton's 2007 bow with McLaren, but it was only when they joined forces that cracks showed.
They linked up at Mercedes in 2013, with the battle between them 'almost killing' Rosberg, according to another of Hamilton's old teammates, Heikki Kovalainen.
The man himself, who is now a sustainability entrepreneur and an investor in the all-electric racing series Formula E, once told Eurosport: "It [the friendship breakdown] happened immediately when we were fighting for the World Championship, not before.
"But that's always the case: When you're fighting for success in every race and for titles, it doesn't work anymore.
"It was a build-up from one race to the next. If you want to decide the world championship for yourself, you can't play ‘love, peace and harmony’.
"You have to test limits and go into grey areas to win, especially when two drivers are at such a high level. Then it often gets tight."
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