I’m an F1 champ who could have won eight races in a row if it wasn’t for Lewis Hamilton’s Spanish GP shunt

NICO ROSBERG is a Formula One champion who could have won eight races in a row.

The retired driver has joked that Lewis Hamilton denied him the feat with his shunt at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix.

Rosberg had won seven consecutive races ahead of their infamous collision in Barcelona.

Having won the last three races of 2015 and the first four in 2016, Rosberg was on the brink of history.

Hamilton had started ahead of Rosberg in pole position, but was overtaken by his Mercedes team-mate on turn one.

In his attempts to re-take the lead, the Brit collided with Rosberg on turn four, ending the race for both drivers.

Recalling his run of wins, Rosberg told the : "Yeah, that was quite cool."

The German also joked: "I would have had eight if Lewis hadn’t have shunted me off in Barcelona, for those of you who remember that race in 2016.

"I’m laughing by the way for those of you who can’t see me now, because that was a joke. That was a joke."

Rosberg would still go on to win the 2016 Drivers' Championship, the only world title of his career.

CASINO SPECIAL - BEST ONLINE CASINOS FOR 2023

He then abruptly retired aged 31 after winning the title, having claimed nine of his 23 career race wins during the season.

Despite being denied an eighth win in a row, Rosberg is one of just five drivers to win seven or more straight races.

Max Verstappen equalled the feats of Rosberg, Michael Schumacher and Alberto Ascari with his seventh win in Hungary on Sunday.

Wins in Belgium and the Netherlands in the next two races will take his streak to nine and equal Fernando Alonso's record from 2013.