Share this article on LinkedIn Email

Lewis Hamilton has made it clear he has no need to be friends with Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg while they remain fierce rivals in Formula 1.

The bond that once existed between the pair as kids on the karting scene has been replaced by a frosty relationship as they fight for race wins and F1 titles.

At times the battle has spilled over, such as at Spa last year, but for the past two years Hamilton has had the final say, clinching back-to-back crowns.

ABU DHABI ANALYSIS: How Hamilton lost his edge

The 30-year-old does not believe they will ever be close again while they are in F1, and that only when they are retired will there be the possibility of becoming friends again.

"We were friends when we were kids, and that was that. It's not like we've been close friends recently, because we haven't," Hamilton told Autosport at an event in Kuala Lumpur organised by title sponsor Petronas.

"The media generally tries to big up our relationship like it was a friendship, more than it was.

"But Nico has his group of friends, I have my group of friends. We don't do dinner together, we don't want to party together, we don't want to go to the movies together, we don't want to hang out.

"We're fierce competitors, and ultimately he wants to beat me and I want to beat him.

"I'm sure one day when we retire we'll sit back and laugh about all this shit that has happened and all the competitiveness.

"We'll be chilling, our kids will be playing together and all that crap, but right now we're not there, and there's no need to be."

Hamilton recognises the fact he and Rosberg have to work together on behalf of Mercedes to claim the constructors' title, but that is the only thing they have in common.

"As with the majority of sport there is such fierce competition," he added.

"Look at Serena Williams. When she is fighting for titles, I'm sure whoever she is competing against is not her best friend.

"But in Formula 1 you are team-mates, with the priority to win the constructors' championship, and we work collectively.

"When Nico wins a race I need to back him up, and vice versa, and what we do together - in terms of pushing the car and team forward - is hopefully inspiring them, motivating the guys. That's our goal.

"Of course we've been racing together for a long, long time, since we were 13. We had great, great moments back then, and we've had great moments now.

"But for the rest of our Formula 1 careers we will be fierce competitors."