Nico Rosberg Reveals the Reason Behind Early Retirement

Published 02/09/2019, 8:31 AM EST

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Nico Rosberg sent shock waves through the Formula 1 paddock when he announced his retirement almost simultaneously with his 2016 world championship win. But the former Mercedes driver insists he doesn’t hold any regrets upon leaving the sport and here’s the reason why.

“I am not a daredevil, the rest are,” Rosberg told ZDF. “There are times when I watch Formula 1 and think: ‘I’m glad I’m not in that car now’. In Baku, for example, when they race through the streets of a city at a depth of 360 kilometres per hour, millimetres away from a wall. Unlike the other racers, I am not a real daredevil.”

It took Rosberg several attempts to beat rival and team-mate, Lewis Hamilton. Now, he works as a pundit for Sky Sports, but unlike the other pundits, he claims he does not miss the racing.

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via Imago

“And I do not miss it at all. I am very happy with that since it is a big guess. You stop what at that moment occupies your entire life and you have no idea what it will look like next. Luckily I found new things to do and I could count on my family to keep me busy. It is the best choice I have ever made,” he concluded.

As a result of Rosberg’s sudden departure, then Williams driver, Valtteri Bottas got an unexpected promotion. While the Finn has struggled to keep up with teammate Lewis Hamilton, 2019 will be his toughest season till date. Meanwhile, Rosberg is happily spending time with his family. Occasionally, he visits various racing series and watches them with keen interest.

Last year, he was seen quite often at Formula E races, ahead of Mercedes’ debut. He even got a chance to test the Gen 2 car a few times.

via Imago

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Dhruv George

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Dhruv George is a senior Formula One and NASCAR analyst for EssentiallySports, having authored nearly 12000 articles spanning different sports like F1, NASCAR, Tennis, NFL, and eSports. He graduated with a PG Diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications. Dhruv has also conducted interviews with F1 driver Pierre Gasly and Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino.
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