Nico Rosberg announces his retirement from F1

The FIA ​​awards ceremony in Vienna, Austria today will take a very special turn, with the surprise announcement from Nico Rosberg. The German pilot, crowned world champion with Mercedes during the last Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, formalized his retirement from the F1.

The now ex-Mercedes driver sent a message on social networks, highlighting the fact of having achieved his life's goal. “For 25 years of racing, it has always been my dream, my only goal, to be Formula 1 world champion. I was forced to sacrifice a lot for this, but despite all this work, this pain, and all these sacrifices have always been my goal.

And now it's done, I've climbed the mountain, I've reached the top and the feeling is good. I have deep gratitude for everyone who supported me along the way to achieve this title and made this possible.

I can tell you, this season has been bloody difficult. After the great disappointment of the last two years, I gave everything like crazy and left nothing to chance. These disappointments took my motivation to another level. A level I had never reached before. »

Nico Rosberg also highlights the impact on his family. “It was a huge effort for us, and we put everything behind this goal. I cannot thank my wife Vivian enough. She was incredible. She understood that this year was our greatest opportunity.

She created enough space for me to relax between runs. For example, she took care of our daughter, and took charge of the difficult things and put the championship above all else. »

Rosberg then explains that the idea of ​​a withdrawal came some time before the Abu Dhabi final. “When I won the race at Suzuka, I had my destiny in my hands. The pressure was increased and I was starting to think about retiring from the race as world champion.

On Sunday morning in Abu Dhabi, I knew it could be my last race. And all this suddenly became very clear just before departure. I wanted to enjoy every second of this experience, knowing that it could be my last... and then the lights went out and I had the most intense 55 laps of my life. On Monday evening, I made my decision. After thinking for a day, I notified Vivian and Georg Nolte (integrated into the Rosberg management team), then later Toto. »

The only thing that makes this decision very difficult is that I am now putting my racing family in a difficult position. But Toto understood me. He immediately recognized that I was totally convinced of my decision and that reassured me. I will always be very proud to have won the world title with this incredible team.

Now I'm here to fully enjoy the moment. I feel great relief. Over the next few weeks, I'm going to enjoy, look back on this season, and enjoy every experience that comes my way. After this, I will open the next chapter of my life. I'm curious to see what this has in store for me. »

The German also clarified in a video that he did not want to relive a new fight for the world title in 2017.