Nico Rosberg says beating a driver he considers "one of the best in history" makes his title win even more special.
Rosberg and team-mate Lewis Hamilton have known each other since they were children – having raced go-karts together – and he says the fact he's beaten a team-mate often regarded as 'the quickest on the grid' is "even more special".
"Yeah, for sure, it feels like I’ve been racing him [Hamilton] for ever and always he’s just managed to edge me out and get the title even when we were smaller in go-karts.
"He’s just an amazing driver and of course one of the best in history so it’s unbelievably special to beat him because the level is so high and that makes this even more special… for sure, so much more satisfying for me because the benchmark is so high.
"I took the World Championship away from him which is a phenomenal feeling. It’s been a great year as well, for sure he drove at an extremely high level, he’s done some incredible racing so he’s been a very very tough competitor and I don’t know how many points we are apart at the end, you know, five points, which is unbelievable. With the same car."
The German admitted after the race that he had put on his cool demeanour to avoid becoming distracted by the intense pressure he was under to deliver his first championship, after missing out in previous seasons.
"If it’s OK maybe you can understand that I wasn’t completely transparent the whole weekend," he added. "Of course I need protect myself a little bit also from your world which is pretty intense, the world media world.
"So yes it was a very, very tough weekend for me. Many moments not so enjoyable of course, like especially the race, for example. Very, very tough with Verstappen in the beginning there and then in the end of course. Not nice!"
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