Formula One champion Nico Rosberg announces shock retirement

[rooster59]

Formula One champion Nico Rosberg announces shock retirement

 

 

Newly crowned Formula One champion Nico Rosberg has announced he’s quitting the sport less than a week after winning his first world title with Mercedes.

 

In a statement on Facebook, the German said: “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.”

 

“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,” the 31-year-old added.

 

Rosberg, who lost out to Britain’s Lewis Hamilton in the previous two years, made it third time lucky on Sunday when he clinched his maiden title with a second-placed finish behind the triple world champion at the season finale.

 

The childhood friends have been fierce rivals in Formula One and their body language was distinctly frosty immediately after Rosberg claimed the honours.

 

Rosberg lost any hope of claiming the 2014 title with an engine problem at the final race of that season but, unlike Hamilton, has had no such reliability issues this year.

 

“For me it was difficult to stomach. In 2015 I lost to him again. It will now take some time for him to process this,” Rosberg said

 

 

-- © Copyright Euronews 2016-12-03

[mania]

I wish him well

 

Same as Casey Stoner in MotoGP sometimes after a life of getting to the top

once there that is good enough & they would like to get off the train & now spend quality time with their wife & child.

 

Can't fault them for that

 

Was nice watching him take a well deserved championship this year.

I will say he was always gracious in victory or defeat & always quick to offer a handshake after the races

 

Good Luck to him

[Mosha]

I can't see Merc being happy over their golden boy leaving. No way can Wolfe discipline Lewis now.

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[stevenl]

I whish him well. He was a very good driver but lacked the special bit that some others have, like Lewis, Max and (in the past) Fernando.

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[daveAustin]

Although he won by default and was a bit of a little girl on occasion (well, most of them are), fair play to him. Not the best out there by a long way, but decent enough bloke. Wonder if Jenson will be tempted out of 'retirement'...  

[AJBangkok]

Every man and his dog is going to be scrambling for that seat

[stevenl]

Although he won by default and was a bit of a little girl on occasion (well, most of them are), fair play to him. Not the best out there by a long way, but decent enough bloke. Wonder if Jenson will be tempted out of 'retirement'...  

No, that seat is out of Jenson's range.

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[Mosha]

Vettel may be tempted, Jenson would be a 1 season driver while the test driver is nurtured.

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[KimSamui]

Imagine the relief of not having to have his "friend" Lewis Hamilton in his life anymore.

[smutcakes]

2 hours ago, mania said:

I wish him well

 

Same as Casey Stoner in MotoGP sometimes after a life of getting to the top

once there that is good enough & they would like to get off the train & now spend quality time with their wife & child.

 

Can't fault them for that

 

Was nice watching him take a well deserved championship this year.

I will say he was always gracious in victory or defeat & always quick to offer a handshake after the races

 

Good Luck to him

 

 

Casey always seemed a fairly intense character and seemed do dislike the PR side (unfortunately that is what makes the money and is unavoidable), i do notice him around the GP 's more and more and I have an inkling that deep down he wants to get back on but perhaps is a little proud to go back on his decision.

 

Fair play to Rosberg and he has done everything he wanted to do and goes out as champion. Again though i suspect given a year or to out we might see him again in a non front running car using his experience as a car development driver. 

 

For both of them, and particularly Stoner who was perhaps only mid 20's when he retired, 'you are long time retied' especially at that age..

[kalbo123]

coward, he knows he can never defend his world titel.

[IAMHERE]

I predict that whoever drives the other merc next year will be number two. Any of the other divers would do just as well if they too had a seat in the merc; it isn't the driver so much as it is the car. You want to be a champion, drive a mercedes in F1.

[smutcakes]

3 minutes ago, IAMHERE said:

I predict that whoever drives the other merc next year will be number two. Any of the other divers would do just as well if they too had a seat in the merc; it isn't the driver so much as it is the car. You want to be a champion, drive a mercedes in F1.

 

There are obviously very fine lines and the quality of car plays a huge part, however there is also very clearly good, very good and excellent drivers.

 

There is a reason why some drivers never proceed to the best car and others do, or why some progress from smaller series like GP3 and some do not.   I expect most of it is between the ears. If it was all about the car, why don't you apply?

 

I probably took your post to literally, and i understand your point, but driving those things its all about fine margins, and despite everyone there being unbelievable drivers, there is that 1% which makes the difference and ends up with those drivers being in the best cars.

[Chris Lawrence]

The hardest thing would be having to week in week out be with the <deleted> Lewis. Hamilton is a prima donna.

 

Casey Stoner left because of the European politics in the sport. He said that was harder then winning.

[Ramen087]

It is never ill advised to retire a champion. ? So many athletes stay on too long or come out of retirement only to never regain their form. Those that do are the exception, not the rule. A smart move by Mr. Rosberg, I feel.

[Mosha]

 
There are obviously very fine lines and the quality of car plays a huge part, however there is also very clearly good, very good and excellent drivers.
 
There is a reason why some drivers never proceed to the best car and others do, or why some progress from smaller series like GP3 and some do not.   I expect most of it is between the ears. If it was all about the car, why don't you apply?
 
I probably took your post to literally, and i understand your point, but driving those things its all about fine margins, and despite everyone there being unbelievable drivers, there is that 1% which makes the difference and ends up with those drivers being in the best cars.

It was said a few times that the Frank Williams FW14 was so easy a monkey could drive it. Which greatly irritated Nigel Mansell lol.

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[geriatrickid]

5 hours ago, stevenl said:

I whish him well. He was a very good driver but lacked the special bit that some others have, like Lewis, Max and (in the past) Fernando.

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He lacked nothing, He had manners and class and wasn't a showboater like Hamilton.

He will enjoy tremendous earnings from his endorsements and investments and does not need to risk his life anymore  in the corrupt and generous world of F1. He can enjoy all the money he made. Better to be alive and out of the spotlight, then to be  be famous for a  bit longer and dead.

[Mansell]

3 hours ago, KimSamui said:

Imagine the relief of not having to have his "friend" Lewis Hamilton in his life anymore.

Not really true as they both live in the same complex in Monaco. Actually Lewis will miss him as a competitor in the same way Senna missed not having Prost to push him harder. Rosberg was smart in quitting now as he knows he would be only racing for second again next year......why keep hanging around for crumbs. He has millions of Euros, pays no taxes, and can now relax. That last race was very stressful with Lewis's tactics, but Nico made a world class pass on Max.....if that had gone wrong, everything lost. Not as fast as Lewis, but a classy intelligent guy......enjoy your life Nico.

[mania]

It is true that Nico & Lewis have been friends a good many years

 

Also I think it is harder for fans to know true feeling in those areas as we only see them during high stress times.

But there exists many shots like these too showing history of chatting what it will be like for them someday & it was wasn't it?

Edited December 3, 2016 by mania

[stevenl]

 
He lacked nothing, He had manners and class and wasn't a showboater like Hamilton.
He will enjoy tremendous earnings from his endorsements and investments and does not need to risk his life anymore  in the corrupt and generous world of F1. He can enjoy all the money he made. Better to be alive and out of the spotlight, then to be  be famous for a  bit longer and dead.

Disagree. He lacked the really special talent that eg a Lewis Hamilton has.

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[Mosha]

 
He lacked nothing, He had manners and class and wasn't a showboater like Hamilton.
He will enjoy tremendous earnings from his endorsements and investments and does not need to risk his life anymore  in the corrupt and generous world of F1. He can enjoy all the money he made. Better to be alive and out of the spotlight, then to be  be famous for a  bit longer and dead.

Couldn't drive to save his life if it was more than damp.

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[KimSamui]

57 minutes ago, Mansell said:

Not really true as they both live in the same complex in Monaco. Actually Lewis will miss him as a competitor in the same way Senna missed not having Prost to push him harder. Rosberg was smart in quitting now as he knows he would be only racing for second again next year......why keep hanging around for crumbs. He has millions of Euros, pays no taxes, and can now relax. That last race was very stressful with Lewis's tactics, but Nico made a world class pass on Max.....if that had gone wrong, everything lost. Not as fast as Lewis, but a classy intelligent guy......enjoy your life Nico.

Yes I'm aware they are in the same complex in the very small Principality of Monaco.

Bluntly since you missed the point, I think Hamilton would be an insufferable jerk to have to work with, little-own continue the charade of friendship. 

[dunroaming]

I get it completely and good luck to him.  He has a beautiful wife and child and enough money to enjoy his life and family.  Clearly he doesn't need the adoration that so many of the other drivers do.

[Guest]

My guess is that Pascal Werhline Wehrlein will replace Rosberg. 

He is Mercedes test driver, German and Hamilton don't think he is a threat.

 

Vettel could be another driver to join Mercedes, in case he wishes to leave Ferrari. But would the team spirit be any better if he would join in? Who then would drive the second car on Ferrari?

 

Both Alonso and Hamilton are both political players. I don't think they would want race in the same team again.

 

Verstappen would definitely give a nice spark to Mercedes. 

 

Bottas would be a apolitical driver and he might fit in with Hamilton as well as make sure that the team spirit would be better next year.

 

[Guest]

This is actually quite funny. Mercedes and Max Verstappen's twitter discussion. 

 

 

 

 

[Baerboxer]

8 hours ago, geriatrickid said:

 

He lacked nothing, He had manners and class and wasn't a showboater like Hamilton.

He will enjoy tremendous earnings from his endorsements and investments and does not need to risk his life anymore  in the corrupt and generous world of F1. He can enjoy all the money he made. Better to be alive and out of the spotlight, then to be  be famous for a  bit longer and dead.

 

That's what you think? Did you miss his cheating to deny Hamilton a practice and potential pole, the deliberate crash to take Hamilton out, the spoiled brat histrionics with his behavior in the first three drivers' room when he wasn't first - the throwing of caps and water bottles etc.

 

He has all the hallmarks of a spoiled brat who thought he was entitles to be World Champion and seemed to resent that the German Mercedes wouldn't put him a German above Hamilton. 

 

Hamilton had some very unusual issues with his car this season, which enabled Rosberg to win, even though Hamilton won more races. Just about every pundit and media person seems to say Hamilton is the better driver. 

 

Rosberg is wise to bow out now, rather than have several seasons as a mediocre and in Hamilton's shadow. He isn't and never will be a Schumacher or Vettel. And he knows it.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Baerboxer said:

 

That's what you think? Did you miss his cheating to deny Hamilton a practice and potential pole, the deliberate crash to take Hamilton out, the spoiled brat histrionics with his behavior in the first three drivers' room when he wasn't first - the throwing of caps and water bottles etc.

 

He has all the hallmarks of a spoiled brat who thought he was entitles to be World Champion and seemed to resent that the German Mercedes wouldn't put him a German above Hamilton. 

 

Hamilton had some very unusual issues with his car this season, which enabled Rosberg to win, even though Hamilton won more races. Just about every pundit and media person seems to say Hamilton is the better driver. 

 

Rosberg is wise to bow out now, rather than have several seasons as a mediocre and in Hamilton's shadow. He isn't and never will be a Schumacher or Vettel. And he knows it.

Thank you. That's rather interesting view. 

 

I'm quite sure that you can understand that pretty much everybody else, outside of UK's very special circles, would disagree what you just wrote. 

 

 

[stevenl]

Thank you. That's rather interesting view. 
 
I'm quite sure that you can understand that pretty much everybody else, outside of UK's very special circles, would disagree what you just wrote. 
 
 

I'm not from the UK but do agree that Hamilton is the better driver. Rosberg lacks the little extra that the real special drivers have.

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[Lokie]

I salute Rosberg at finishing on a high, he won the championship and fair play to him, we can discuss the ifs and buts all day long but at end of day he won and thats that.

 

Really dont think he would have sucessfully defended this world title next year. He was in the best car at the moment as we all know but he does lack that bit of something that the greats have, Hamilton has it, you sense when he is running he is always focused on 100% Win, on occasions Rosberg did not give that impression, Max Verstappen certainly has it with a dose of bare faced amazing maneuvers on racing lines no one else would use...

 

Max is the Champion in waiting but right now Hamilton is the Daddy even though Rosberg took the title. If you robbed a bank which one would you want as getaway driver?   Hopefully with the new changes slated for next season it will make a more levelled playing field and be great for the sport.

 

 

[Guest]

1 minute ago, stevenl said:

I'm not from the UK but do agree that Hamilton is the better driver. Rosberg lacks the little extra that the real special drivers have.

That special extra little thing is being able to drive without concern of other drivers. Lewis has it, Max also has the same ability, so did many other champs. Schumacher was quite notorious on that extra skill, and he is considered to be the best F1 driver of all times. Is he?

 

It's still nice to have a champ with constantly improving skills, intellect and respect for other drivers and the team around him. The team which made the championship possible.