Nico Rosberg Reveals F1 Champion Father Called Him “Crazy” for 2016 Retirement Decision

In 2016, Nico Rosberg finally climbed to the top of the F1 mound as he beat Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton to become the world champion. Days later, the Finnish former driver announced his retirement from the sport, leaving everyone in shock. Nearly a decade after his abrupt decision to step away from F1, the 39-year-old reveals his father thought he was “crazy” to be retiring.

Keijo Erik Rosberg, popularly known as ‘Keke,’ is the 1982 F1 world champion and also is the first-ever Finnish driver to win the title. Growing up in the Rosberg household, Nico [Rosberg] only had one wish and that was to follow in his father’s footsteps.

Writing about the same on LinkedIn, Rosberg also touched upon his father’s reaction when he decided to retire. For the now 39-year-old, it was not about stepping away from success but about moving towards something new.

But his father did not see it that way. For Keke, his son’s decision did not make much sense, as he even went on to say, “You’re crazy!” to his son.

Nico, meanwhile, believed in the electric vehicle revolution and started working in the world of EVs. He became an early investor in the Formula E series and even owns an Extreme E team. Per the Finnish former driver, Electric Motorsport can change the world and make it better.

Away from the EV world, Nico has become a famous F1 pundit with Sky Sports, as he continues to be a part of the sport that made him world champion. However, the pressure of being a TV presenter is hardly a match to the pressure of being a world champion’s son.

How Nico dealt with the pressure of his father’s success

When he was younger, people expected Nico to match or surpass his father’s achievements. Rather than being overwhelmed by the expectations, a young Nico learned how to use them to fuel himself. It helped him work harder, be more focused, and find his path.

Dad on the left, son on the right

A pair of #F1 world champions celebrate, 34 years apart, as @nico_rosberg emulates his father Keke pic.twitter.com/GEPcwVKHma

— Formula 1 (@F1) November 28, 2016

In the end, it built the resilience he needed to get through the challenges that came his way. The former Mercedes driver was able to put everything aside and focus on achieving his ultimate goal. And once he did, he did not see any reason to stay in F1.