Nico Rosberg announced his retirement Friday from Formula One Racing after winning the world championship. His decision stunned his team Mercedes and his fans all over the world.
The 31-year-old German said, “I have climbed my mountain, I am on the peak, so this feels right.”
The Mercedes driver won nine of this season’s 21 grand prix races, beating three-time champion and also lifelong rival Lewis Hamilton by five points. Rosberg said in a statement on Facebook:
“From the moment when the destiny of the title was in my own hands, the big pressure started and I began to think about ending my racing career if I became world champion.
“On Sunday morning in Abu Dhabi, I knew that it could be my last race and that feeling cleared my head before the start. I wanted to enjoy every part of the experience, knowing it might be the last time,” Rosberg added.
“Now I’ve achieved that, I’ve put everything into it for 25 years of racing and with the help of everybody around me, with the help of fans and the help of my team and my family and friends I have managed to achieve that this year,” the statement said. “So it has been an incredible experience for me that I will remember forever.”
He said that he wanted to spend more time with his family. Rosberg is married and has a one-year-old daughter.
“The only thing that makes this decision in any way difficult for me is because I am putting my racing family into a tough situation.”
Mercedes chief Toto Wolff said, “This is a brave decision and testament to his strength of character, He has chosen to leave at the pinnacle of his career, as world champion, having achieved his childhood dream.
“The clarity of his judgement meant I accepted his decision straight away when he told me”. Wolff added.
https://twitter.com/nico_rosberg/status/804735240979746816
