How Nico Rosberg’s “Failures” Became Key Factor in Beating Lewis Hamilton for 2016 Title

Before he became World champion in 2016, Nico Rosberg had to taste defeat at the hands of his ex-best friend turned bitter rival Lewis Hamilton twice. Many saw these as failures, but ex-McLaren mechanic Marc Priestley revealed that Rosberg looked at them as stepping stones to success.

Rosberg learned from his mistakes, used them as practice points, and perfected each of his weaknesses to achieve the biggest milestone of his career by clinching the title.

Priestley spoke to Rosberg just one day before the 2016 championship finale and understood the now-39-year-old’s mindset. The Mercedes driver was not demoralized by his losses. “He doesn’t see any of that as a failure at all,” Priestley said as per Pitlane Life Lessons. 

“He thinks he could not have won the world championship in 2016 without having gone through the failures of the years that preceded it,” he added.

One day after Priestley’s conversation with Rosberg, the latter went on to defeat Hamilton and win the title. Rosberg in a later interview, revealed that he had put everything on the line in the buildup to the championship finale. He stayed away from his friends and family, and also strained his marriage.

However, once he completed his quest, he put the world of F1 behind him and completely focused on his personal life. He quit F1 but left behind an iconic legacy that is still talked about today.

Rosberg’s iconic win and exit

For Rosberg, the 2016 season was as good as his career would get. He prepared for it by making a lot of sacrifices, especially on a personal level and Priestley revealed that the German driver was not prepared to go through it again.

He defeated Hamilton and proved to himself and others that he could win the world title, something he fought for in both 2014 and 2015 unsuccessfully. At the FIA Prize Giving Gala of 2016, he made the official announcement that he would not be returning to F1.

Rosberg walked away from the sport as its champion, and also away from millions of dollars in salary. Before the 2016 season, he signed a two-year $110 million extension with Mercedes. However, he let it go for the sake of his health, and family.