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Lewis Hamilton-Nico Rosberg: The final Mercedes head-to-head record

Who claimed most poles? Who had the most wins? And who retired from races more often? Examining Hamilton and Rosberg's head-to-head record at Mercedes after Nico retires from Formula 1

The two title combatants on the podium in Bahrain - Picture from Getty Images

Hamilton v Rosberg. Lewis v Nico. Across the last four seasons, it has been the team-mate duel in Formula 1 - especially since the one-time childhood friends turned fierce title rivals from 2014.

Yet the famous but fractious Mercedes partnership has now suddenly been ended by Rosberg's retirement, just days after he became world champion for the first time.

So, as one of F1's most intense team-mate pairings part, we chalk up the head-to-head numbers since the start of 2013...

Mercedes head-to-head record

Lewis Hamilton Nico Rosberg
4 Seasons as team-mates 4
2 World titles 1
3 Seasons finished ahead 1
4th, 1st, 1st, 2nd Season finishing positions 6th, 2nd, 2nd, 1st
1,334 (1,309) Points (excluding double points) 1,195 (1,195)

First paired together by Mercedes nearly four years ago, Hamilton and Rosberg were team-mates for 78 grands prix.

Hamilton finished ahead in the standings in each of their first three seasons together, winning the drivers' world title in the latter two, but Rosberg retired on top by winning this year's championship.

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Ted Kravitz sits down with Nico Rosberg at the Autsport Awards to find out what he'll miss most about F1

It means Rosberg becomes just the second F1 team-mate of Hamilton's after Jenson Button in 2011 to outscore the Briton over a full season.

Unlike Button at McLaren, however, it's Hamilton who comfortably finishes with the highest overall points tally from their time as team-mates with the final difference over 100 points, more than four race wins.

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Qualifying head-to-head

Lewis Hamilton Nico Rosberg
42 Qualified ahead 36
3 Seasons won qualifying 1
35 Pole positions 29
57 Front-row starts 57
24 Headed front-row lockout 20
22nd Lowest grid position 12th

Hamilton also emerges on top in the overall qualifying head-to-head, finishing with the better Saturday result 42 times to 36.

Yet Rosberg still underlined his own single-lap prowess by running the Briton far closer than Hamilton's final two team-mates at McLaren, Button and Heikki Kovalainen, ever did. Only Fernando Alonso, in his single season alongside a then rookie Hamilton in 2007, got close and he still lost their qualifying duel 9-8.

In fact, Rosberg, via a 12-7 scoreline, became the first team-mate to defeat Hamilton in qualifying over a season in 2014.

But Hamilton's four consecutive poles at the end of 2016 ultimately pulled him six clear in the overall head-to-head, although the pair end their partnership locked on 57 front-row starts apiece. Had a gearbox penalty not intervened in Austria earlier this year, Rosberg would have finished his career with a record 27 consecutive front-row appearances.

Race head-to-head

Lewis Hamilton Nico Rosberg
32 Wins 22
55 Podiums 50
37 Ahead in two-car finish 27
7 Retirements 8
19 Fastest laps 16
51 Races led 48

Hamilton's advantage over Rosberg grows on race day, with the triple champion winning 10 more races than the German during their time as team-mates.

Their combined tally of 54 victories from 78 races together at Mercedes means they won 69 per cent of grands prix in those four years. They shared the podium 40 times, finishing one-two on 31 occasions.

In the thorny area of race retirements, Rosberg ends with one more DNF than Hamilton, 8-7, although the Briton experienced more mechanical problems in qualifying sessions.

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