“Horrible Feeling”: Nico Rosberg Once Shared His Experience of Competing Against Max Verstappen

Although winning the 2016 championship was the most beautiful moment in Nico Rosberg’s life, the journey to it was extremely stressful. Other than beating his title rival Lewis Hamilton, the German former driver also had to battle Max Verstappen in the season finale in Abu Dhabi, something he referred to as a “horrible feeling” after successfully getting over the line.

“It is not possible to explain the intensity,” Rosberg replied when asked how his nerves were in the car on that evening at the Yas Marina circuit. “Even the battle with Max there, it was a horrible feeling out there!”

Rosberg eventually finished the race in second and won the championship by five points from Hamilton, who tried his best to beat his then-Mercedes teammate by backing him into the pack. Rosberg, knowing he could not afford to finish below third, felt the pressure as the likes of Sebastian Vettel and Verstappen breathed down his neck until the chequered flag.

A title fight which went down to the wire

Nico Rosberg clinched his maiden title in the final round of the 2016 season #AbuDhabiGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/2hqNTAxjOv

— Formula 1 (@F1) November 22, 2023

Ultimately, the German passed the finish line just four-tenths ahead of Vettel, with Verstappen finishing another eight-tenths behind. With such slim margins, it is understandable why Rosberg could never rest easy until the end.

Nevertheless, as he achieved his childhood dream of winning an F1 world title, many believed he would want to achieve more and create a legacy since he was only 31 at the time. However, Rosberg surprised everyone by announcing his retirement immediately after his triumph in Abu Dhabi.

Why did Rosberg retire?

Right after Rosberg received his championship trophy at the FIA prize-giving gala, he announced his retirement and explained his reasoning behind it. “It’s very simple,” he said. “I’ve achieved what I set out to do”.

#F1 Watch @MercedesAMGF1‘s @nico_rosberg announcing his retirement from racing at the #FIAPrizeGiving in #Vienna pic.twitter.com/eCxMx4LnYS

— FIA (@fia) December 2, 2016

He then added that 2016 was not just a stressful year for him because of his championship battle but also for his family, who resonated with his emotions. In order to not put them through the same stress again, the German chose to hang up his boots.

Another reason Rosberg called time upon his career is the fact that his mental health worsened. “In the end, however, my life and mental health were on the line,” he said in a 2023 interview.

He also added that he had been visiting a psychologist for 10 years, highlighting the stress he was under to achieve his dream at the apex of motorsports. So, when Rosberg finally got there, he perhaps thought that it was enough and made peace with his only world championship.