“Do I want to continue to deliver and live in that intensity”: 2016 World Champion Nico Rosberg reveals the moment he decided to retire

Nico Rosberg shockingly decided to retire from F1 in 2016 after his first Championship title rocked the motorsport world. 

The 2016 season saw Lewis Hamilton face the biggest title rivalry he’d have to undergo in recent years. It was his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg who proved to be a thorn in his side.

Their battle went down to the very last race in Abu Dhabi. Rosberg needed to secure P2 to snag his maiden title win, which is exactly what happened at Yas Marina.

Nico Rosberg…
2016 Formula One World Champion… #n1co#F1Finale #AbuDhabi #F1 pic.twitter.com/n5O1jo4h5m

— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) November 27, 2016

Shortly after winning his first-ever Driver’s Championship, Rosberg announced that he had decided to retire from the sport. Considering he was part of the strongest team, the decision came as a shock to everyone.

Regardless of that, Rosberg’s decision was made, and it did not take him any time at all. Two metres after the line in Abu Dhabi. If you ask me, ‘When did you decide to retire?’ That was the moment,” he said to squaremile. “There was about £100m going down the drain… but shit happens,”

“I had given it everything. It was a question of do I want to continue to deliver and live in that intensity, and with my dream having come true – I’d fulfilled my goal of being world champion – it just felt like a great moment to step away and have a new life, with different benefits.”

Nico Rosberg tells how to beat Lewis Hamilton

“To win a Formula One World Championship, first of all, you need to look at your rival. In this case, it was Lewis, he was the only real rival, and now he’s proven to be the best of all time, so the level is unbelievably high,” said the former German race driver.

“But, as is the case with any human, there are also some weaknesses. The German stressed that it is important to always give the effort your “110%” for the whole season. Anything less and you can kiss your chances of beating Hamilton goodbye, according to the 2016 Champion.”

“It’s also important to be consistent over the whole season, to not have any big, bad races, and deliver at every moment. At the moment, Max Verstappen is leading the Driver’s standings by 12 points going into the Mexican GP weekend. 

The former Mercedes driver also offered some insight into Hamilton’s psyche. “Lewis also has these periods where he loses a bit of motivation – he has these dips in form – and there it’s important to maximise these moments, to keep him down for a bit longer. If all these ingredients come together you stand a chance.”