Rosberg announces immediate retirement from F1
On the very day when newly crowned F1 World Champion Nico Rosberg is set to collect his trophy, the German has announced that he is retiring from the sport with immediate effect. The 31-year old took the title 5 days earlier by finishing second in the Abu Dhabi GP
“Since 25 years in racing, it has been my dream, my ‘one thing’ to become Formula One World Champion,” said Rosberg via social media. “Through the hard work, the pain, the sacrifices, this has been my target. And now I’ve made it.
“I have climbed my mountain, I am on the peak, so this feels right. My strongest emotion right now is deep gratitude to everybody who supported me to make that dream happen.”
“When I won the race in Suzuka, from the moment when the destiny of the title was in my own hands, the big pressure started and I began to think about ending my racing career if I became world champion,” he continued.
“On Sunday morning in Abu Dhabi, I knew that it could be my last race and that feeling cleared my head before the start. I wanted to enjoy every part of the experience, knowing it might be the last time… and then the lights went out and I had the most intense 55 laps of my life.
“I took my decision on Monday evening. After reflecting for a day, the first people I told were (wife) Vivian and Georg (Nolte, from his management team), followed by (Mercedes-Benz Head of Motorsport) Toto (Wolff).”
Nico Rosberg has competed in a total of 206 Grands Prix and won 23 of them, placing him joint 12th on the all-time list alongside Nelson Piquet. He has scored 30 pole positions (8th all time) and 20 fastest laps.
