'Friends turned enemies' was how the battle between Mercedes team-mates Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton was billed.

The pair, who had been friends as fresh-faced youngsters on the karting circuit , were embroiled in an intense rivalry over the past two years - with Hamilton winning the title last year before Rosberg snatched it off him this year.

But the German, who retired five days after winning the world championship in Abu Dhabi , said that they have never lost their respect for one another, no matter how intense the rivalry may have got.

In an interview with BBC Sport, the 31-year-old also acknowledged that Hamilton has been gracious in defeat: "We had a few nice conversations since my retirement. There were some kind words from him.

"Who knows, in the future, we might get on well again.

Beating Lewis makes it all the more special because he is one of the best out there, a great rival and a very, very tough competitor."

After coming so close to the title but ultimately falling short in each of the previous two seasons, Rosberg also revealed how he changed his pre-race preparation this season.

"I just went all out this year," he told the news outlet.

"I had a mental trainer and looked into meditation - actually meditation is a big word, it was more mindfulness training... awareness.

"The other one was go-karting. We only drive every two weeks and you can imagine a tennis player who only practises every two weeks - that is not going to be good for his skill.

"I did a lot of go-karting in between. For sure that really helped."