Tesla CEO Elon Musk had accepted F1 champion Nico Rosberg’s offer to drive the Tesla Model S at the infamous Nürburgring track.
Back in September 2019, amidst a Twitter exchange, Tesla’s CEO and co-founder Elon Musk tweeted that he will be taking its flagship sedan, the Tesla Model S, to one of the most iconic racetracks, The Nurburgring circuit in Germany.
Presumably, in response to the launch of Porsche’s electric sportscar Taycan Turbo, which completed the demanding 20.8km Nordschleife in a record-setting time of 7:42 seconds.
Always relishing a good challenge, Musk then dispatched a Model S to the German hinterland. In a rather modest gesture, Rosberg volunteered to offer his professional driving skills to Tesla by asking Musk if the company needed a “decent driver” to take the Model S around the Nurburgring.
The tech billionaire then responded very positively, saying that having the former Formula One champion as Tesla’s driver “would be great.”
Why Nico Rosberg would make the perfect candidate for Tesla
Since retiring after his historic win at the Formula One World Championship in 2016, Rosberg has proven to be a staunch supporter of sustainable transportation.
In addition to his open passion for Tesla’s electric cars, such as the Model 3 Performance, Rosberg’s inclination towards electric mobility or green mobility should come hardly as a surprise.
Along with that, the F1 champion is a co-founder of the Greentech Fest, an event that showcases some of the world’s most advanced environmentally-friendly technologies.
He also brings years of experience as a driver for both Williams and Mercedes F1 teams. Rosberg would be a strong candidate to set an electric car’s new benchmark lap time.
Also read: Sebastian Vettel justifies getting in way of Lewis Hamilton despite blue flags
Former F1 champion not qualified enough for Tesla
But apparently, Rosberg’s impeccable skills as a professional racing driver would be of no use to Tesla. The former Mercedes driver ultimately did not drive for Tesla’s Nurburgring record attempt because he isn’t qualified enough. And he probably wasn’t aware of the rules when he offered his driving services via Twitter.
While Rosberg is qualified to race on the circuit, he doesn’t have a license that makes him eligible to participate in the three-day car assessment during the industry track testing days.
Given that he is Germany’s most recent F1 champion, some had speculated that he would receive a free pass. However, race car driver Thomas Mutsch was chosen ahead of Rosberg because he has more experience on the dangerous 20.8km circuit than the former Formula one driver.
Also read: Nico Rosberg spends 24 hrs on $7.2 Million Sunreef 80 Eco Yacht in Dubai
