So who paid the F1 drivers' dinner bill in Shanghai?

Multi-millionaire drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg have for now taken their ever growing squabble to another level, both having digs at one another over who would pay the bill for the recent F1 driver's dinner in Shanghai.

World champion Hamilton, 17 points behind and five grid spots down in Shanghai after a gearbox change, pointed the finger at his Mercedes teammate after the high-profile gathering of F1 drivers for dinner in China.

All but five of the current Formula 1 drivers attended the meal at flashy Italian restaurant The Kitchen.

"Someone said: Let's share the bill, so 18 receipts, 18 credit cards, it was the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen," said Hamilton who earns $31-million per year.

The world champion also said that he thinks "Nico" was the one who made the call the split the bill.

"Really? Interesting," Rosberg told reporters when asked about Hamilton's claim. "From what I can remember, the hidden agreement usually is that the world champion pays, but that just might be my opinion," hit back the German who earns over $18-million per year.

In the end each of the drivers paid for their own meal on the night, which appears that what Bernie Ecclestone said earlier in the week hit the nail on the head when he declared, "You go to dinner with [an F1 driver] and they don't even pay the bill."

Clearly the pressure is ramping up as the battle between the Silver Arrows duo enters its third round in China, with Hamilton admitting his five place grid penalty means Rosberg will have an "easy" weekend.

"I just want to enjoy every moment," Rosberg said when asked about what will happen this weekend. "I am only looking at myself and I'll take it step by step."

Welt newspaper thinks that after two triumphs over Hamilton so far, and with a reportedly expiring contract, 2016 is Rosberg's "greatest (and last) chance".

But there are also conspiracy theories doing the rounds after three troubled rounds for Hamilton, with Brazilian correspondent Livio Oricchio writing in Globo that "Not everyone believes Hamilton's difficulties are all down to chance".