Hamilton hails Rosberg's 'well-deserved' title

Hamilton hails Rosberg's 'well-deserved' titleWe are now both champions – Hamilton Despite not bagging the 2016 Formula One title, British driver Lewis Hamilton says they all wanted to be champions with teammate Nico Rosberg. Lewis Hamilton offered an olive branch to teammate Nico Rosberg on Wednesday, telling the German that his maiden Formula One world title was “well deserved”.

Rosberg wrapped up the 2016 championship last weekend when he finished second behind fellow Mercedes driver Hamilton at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Hamilton, however, was widely criticised for his attempts to ''back up'' Rosberg into the clutches of the chasing pack as he tried to engineer his own last-gasp title lifeline.

But the three-time world champion Briton took to Twitter on Wednesday to ease any lingering tension between the two men.

“We said we''d be champions back then, now we both are! Congratulations Nico, you did everything a champion needed to do. Well deserved,” tweeted Hamilton beside a photo of the pair in their junior racing days.

NAMPA/AFP