Nico Rosberg has dismissed Lewis Hamilton's claim that Mercedes have been 'extra warm' to him as an 'excuse' for failing to win the Mexican Grand Prix.
Rosberg ended his near five-month winless streak with a flawless victory earlier this month on Formula One's first return to Mexico City in more than two decades.
But sceptics speculated that Mercedes orchestrated the win for Rosberg as payback for his coming-together with Hamilton in Austin - the scene of the Briton's championship triumph.
And when the theory was put to Hamilton, who, despite his reservations, was issued a team order to pit for a second time while leading in Mexico, he mischievously replied: "I know the team has felt the need to be extra warm (to Rosberg)."
Asked what he felt his team-mate may have been alluding to, Rosberg told Press Association Sport: "I don't know what he really meant with that.
"He wears his heart on his sleeve, and in the heat of the moment after the race he was most probably looking for some excuses for losing the win right after winning the world championship. Maybe that is how it came out."
Hamilton also claimed Rosberg did not go out of his way to congratulate him on winning his third title. A defiant Rosberg added: "He said that? That is not true. It is on TV. I congratulated him right after Austin behind the podium and I have no problem with that.
"He deserves to win the title so I congratulated him and I will do it again here in the interview: 'Congratulations Lewis'.
"Lewis has done a great job and he has been better, but I was a bit more unlucky than he was with a couple of things."
Rosberg's relationship with Hamilton appears to be at an all-time low following two successive years in which they have gone head to head for the championship.
And Hamilton, who was involved in a mysterious road car crash in Monaco in the early hours of Tuesday morning, has got the better of his team-mate on both occasions.
"I don't want to describe our relationship," Rosberg said ahead of this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix. "You can see it from the outside. It goes up and down, and it always will because it is an intense battle.
"We are battling for wins and championships so it is always going to be difficult."
Away from the rigours of the Formula One track, Rosberg became a father for the first time in August when his wife Vivian gave birth to Alaia.
"It has been a great year, probably the best year of my life, " he added. "I have a wonderful wife and a wonderful little daughter. Has it changed me? No, it hasn't. It has made me more happy and it has not had an influence on my racing other than when I leave home."
But asked if he would like his daughter to follow in the footsteps of her father and grandfather Keke Rosberg, the 1982 world champion, the German staunchly replied: "Definitely not - 100 per cent not. It is dangerous, especially the early days. Go-karting is even more dangerous than F1 now."
Source: PA
