Nico Rosberg had a successful career in F1 with Williams and Mercedes. The German race driver ended it by winning the 2016 world championship against Lewis Hamilton, which was enough for his ambitions.
He was surely a skilful driver, and at Hamilton’s peak, he was the only genuine contender to his throne for the longest time. He decided to retire. Otherwise, Mercedes was ready to give him a huge jump in fees in the following contract renewal.
It has been six years since the driver who won the first race of the season went on to win the #F1 World Championship.@NicoRosberg was the last to do it in 2016. pic.twitter.com/LBog4O8vUq
— PlanetF1 (@Planet_F1) December 7, 2022
To this day, he somewhat regrets passing on the $100 million he could have gotten by continuing in F1. But since then, he has never tried to return to F1 as a race driver and is usually seen in broadcasting appearances with SkySports.
Also read: Nico Rosberg believes it was ‘easy’ for Max Verstappen to beat Lewis Hamilton
Nico Rosberg wouldn’t go to Ferrari
The former F1 champion in 2022 has been critical of Ferrari’s weak title challenge. And now, when he asked which team he’ll choose among Ferrari and Red Bull if he had to make an F1 comeback. The German race driver snubs the most successful f1 team ever.
“Ferrari will always have a unique charm because it’s the historical red team. But I wouldn’t go there hoping to win the title,” said Rosberg to the Italian daily newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport.
He chose Red Bull as he believes it would be a safer bet, as the team dominated the whole field in 2022 and is likely to continue the same in 2023. So, it’s the easier choice over the Italian team.
Can’t decide whether firing Mattia Binotto was right
After failing to win the championship in 2022, the Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto resigned from the team, which can be more seen as he had no other option but to leave.
However, Rosberg thinks that firing Binotto isn’t a wise decision. He claims that Ferrari has replaced several people in their key positions, unlike their rivals Red Bull or Mercedes, who have had the same key people for over a decade.
He adds that since the job of team principal is tough, rightful scouting is important. The 2016 F1 champion opines that Ferrari will now have difficulty finding a fitting replacement as only limited options exist.
Rosberg is right about his last statement. According to reports, Ferrari approached Christian Horner and Andreas Seidl, but both refused to take the role.
Also read: Nico Rosberg hails Max Verstappen among top 5 drivers of all time
