Jenson Button blames Nico Rosberg for Lewis Hamilton rivalry in Sky F1 exchange
Sky F1 pundits Jenson Button and Nico Rosberg are both former world champions
Jenson Button stated that George Russell and Kimi Antonelli will not be the next Lewis Hamilton versus Nico Rosberg, simply because “Nico is not driving”.
This was said during a slightly awkward moment which occurred within Sky F1’s post-session coverage of FP2 at the Japanese Grand Prix. Blaming Rosberg for the fireworks during his infamous Mercedes rivalry with Hamilton, it was a Button comment which blurred the lines between banter and unease.
Jenson Button blames Nico Rosberg for Lewis Hamilton rivalry
The early rounds of F1 2026 suggest that Mercedes, at the very least, is right in the championship battle with both drivers. Russell won the season-opener in Melbourne, while Antonelli registered his first grand prix win one week later in China.
Relations between the Mercedes duo are very positive, and so it sparked Sky F1 discussion in Japan.
The topic was whether we are going to see a Lando Norris versus Oscar Piastri style title battle, with Russell and Antonelli staying on good terms throughout F1 2026, or, will it turn volatile, like Lewis Hamilton versus Nico Rosberg did.
Mercedes started the turbo-hybrid era in dominant fashion. Relations between its drivers, Hamilton and Rosberg, gradually deteriorated, and eventually exploded into a bitter rivalry.
Rosberg ended Hamilton’s title run by lifting the 2016 World Championship. He retired from the sport in a shock announcement days later.
When Button was quizzed on the type of title fight we could see between Russell and Antonelli, he took a shot, perhaps playfully, at Rosberg, who like Button, also serves as a Sky pundit at select grand prix.
Rosberg is not on Sky F1 duties at Suzuka.
“Nico’s not driving, so that’s why that dynamic won’t ever happen again,” said Button, with a smile and a quiet laugh.
Returning Sky F1 presenter Natalie Pinkham responded: “But no, I just mean in terms of like intra-team…”
At that point, Button added: “Yeah, I know. But I think that came down to Nico [laughs]. I would say so.
“I think they’re both quite level-headed drivers.”
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Banter, probably, but there was an underlying feeling of awkwardness to this segment.
Pinkham’s closing remark encapsulated that.
“We now know what you think of Nico. I’m sure he’s watching.”
Button was also a former teammate of Hamilton’s at McLaren from 2010-12.
Skip forward to 2026, and Hamilton is preparing to contest the Japanese Grand Prix with Ferrari, off the back of scoring his first podium with the team in China.
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