The German is usually the man in this pairing who plays down any fallout, striking a moderate tone. But here it was left to Hamilton to answer the questions with a straight bat.
Nico Rosberg cycles through the Bahrain paddock on Thursday
“I just do my talking on the track, that’s how it’s always been since I was eight years old,” the reigning champion said. “There’s no issue between me and Nico. We saw each other this morning and everything is good. There are going to be times when people are unhappy about some things but we’re grown-ups and we move past it.”
Rosberg, meanwhile, has been in far more provocative mood than we are used to. After losing to Hamilton in the first two races, he was incredibly magnanimous, praising the two-time champion for driving “like a champion”. But Telegraph Sport understands senior management at the team told Rosberg to be more forthright. His latest comments should be seen in that context.
There was a chink in Rosberg’s armour though, as he admitted his approach could have given Hamilton the mental edge.
The F1 circus has arrived at Bahrain’s palm-lined paddock
The 29-year-old said: “Maybe, because I’m standing here and have to answer all these questions. But other than that, no, I would do it again because I felt the need to state the facts because there was a need to discuss things after that race.
“Everybody said that. That’s it, I wouldn’t do anything different. And except from being stood here in this room discussing it with you, it’s a long time since I last discussed it. It’s a thing of the past and I’m in Bahrain now and I’m here just to attack in a race car again. That’s the best answer I can give, on the race track. I’m looking forward to it and that opportunity.”
On the circuit where they shared their most memorable duel in 2014, the threat of Ferrari is a new dimension, which could force Mercedes to manage their drivers’ races more proactively than they may have done last year.
Lewis Hamilton and Daniel Ricciardo speak at the Bahrain drivers’ press conference
Asked if he was confident of a repeat of China being avoided, the German added: “Am I confident? It’s so difficult because it’s not a thing that’s black or white and that’s what makes all these scenarios difficult. Eventually, once the facts are analysed, there are still different opinions and it’s going to be different from one race to the next.”
Hamilton has not only had to deal with Rosberg this week. He became embroiled in a bizarre hullaballoo about spraying a podium girl in the face with champagne on the podium after his victory in Shanghai.
Feminist campaigners lined up to say his actions were sexist and inconsiderate, forgetting the fact that Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso have erred similarly in the past and received none of the opprobrium.
Lewis Hamilton sprays champagne at Liu Siying on the Shanghai podium
The woman at the centre of the story – a 23-year-old visual arts student – even downplayed it all yesterday. “It lasted for only one or two seconds, and I did not think too much about it at all”, Liu Siying told Shanghai Daily. “I think some foreign media are more sensitive about the topic compared to local media.”
Hamilton himself indicated the so-called ‘spraygate’ affair would not prompt a change to his exuberant celebration.
“It’s nice to know that the lady wrote in and is OK,” he said. “I would never intend to disrespect someone or try to embarrass someone like that. But this is a sport that so many people love and the more we show character and fun, perhaps it reflects just how great this sport is. That’s what I try to do.”
• All you need to know about the Bahrain GP
• Is Rosberg a broken man?