Rosberg: “I would have continued another year if I hadn't won”

The decision made by Nico Rosberg to retire after winning his first World Title took the entire Circus world by surprise. The same Mercedes, according to what the German pilot declared, was informed only at the last moment, given that the son of Keke he thought long and hard about whether that was the right path to take. But what pushed Nico to give up what, since 2006 when he debuted on Williams, is it its natural habitat? The realization of a dream, admits the German, who after fulfilling the greatest ambition of any racing driver, he preferred not to ask for anything else and to retire at the peak of his career.

The World Title was an obsession for Rosberg, as he himself admits. We cannot know whether Nico would have retired if he had won the World Championship already in 2014. But the German declares that if the World Championship had eluded him this year, in 2017 he would have been back on the starting grid fighting with his teammate. team Lewis Hamilton.

“I never want to give up, if I had come second I would have continued another year, for sure” explained the new World Champion. “When I was six years old and I started, the dream was very clear: I wanted to become Formula 1 Champion, and that's what I've always pursued. I did it, it's a dream come true. Now there are other things, family first and foremost. I will see what the future holds only by following my heart” concluded the now former Mercedes driver.

Last Sunday Nico ran his last race with his mind, knowing that the podium would be enough for him to win the much coveted title. By crossing the finish line behind only Lewis Hamilton, Rosberg had achieved what he was looking for. “The last four races have been incredibly intense – explained the German, who in the last part of the season chose to manage the advantage he had accumulated – The last GP is mentally the hardest thing I've done, with the exception of seeing my wife suffer from the birth of our daughter".

Rosberg, he reveals, only informed Mercedes of his decision at the beginning of the week, but his choice was already made: “I knew I would do it the moment I won. I didn't know if I would have the courage, but now I'm here and I'm very happy."

Lorenzo Lucidi