Former F1 team boss claims Nico Rosberg made the right call to ‘walk away’ after defeating Lewis Hamilton

Nico Rosberg retired from Formula 1 after winning the 2016 world championship.

Former F1 team boss claims Nico Rosberg made the right call to ‘walk away’ after defeating Lewis Hamilton

Nico Rosberg [L] Lewis Hamilton [R] (images via IMAGO)

Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg went head-to-head at Mercedes for three consecutive title fights. The German driver managed to defeat Hamilton in 2016 in an exciting season finale. However, Rosberg decided to retire from Formula 1 just six days after winning the title. Now, Former F1 team boss Eddie Jordan has claimed that the 2016 world champion made a wise decision.

Jordan revealed that he was shocked to hear the news of Rosberg’s retirement. The 75-year-old highlighted that drivers usually bank on their world title for the following season in the sport. However, the German driver simply walked away after emerging victorious at the pinnacle of motorsport after a hard-fought battle with Hamilton.

What struck me was he wins the World Championship, and you really coin it and cash in on that World Championship the following year in terms of experience, and Nico [Rosberg] walked away.
Eddie Jordan said on the Formula for Success podcast (H&T: PlanetF1)

The Irishman reckoned that it was the right call. Eddie Jordan claimed that Nico Rosberg understood that he might not manage to beat Lewis Hamilton again. The German driver had given everything into the 2016 season. Moreover, it was clear that Rosberg had proved himself once and for all without the need to continue for another year.

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And I think he’s [Nico Rosberg] very smart. He realised that he’d put everything into beating Lewis and he wasn’t going to do it again, or he didn’t want to have to bother to try to do it again.

Nico Rosberg never looked back after 2016 F1 title

Rosberg won the 2016 title in the season finale at the Abu Dhabi GP. The German driver was done with his racing career and moved on to activities outside of the cockpit. The 38-year-old decided to not continue with Mercedes despite having a massive contract on the table. The Silver Arrows signed Valtteri Bottas to replace Nico Rosberg for 2017.

Nico Rosberg, 2016 Abu Dhabi GP
Nico Rosberg, 2016 Abu Dhabi GP (Via IMAGO)

The former F1 champion remains a regular in the paddock. Rosberg became an F1 presenter shortly after his retirement. The 38-year-old has even taken interviews with his former colleagues on the grid. Moreover, it seems that things between Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton have healed in recent years despite having a massive rivalry during their time at Mercedes.

Certainly, Nico Rosberg established himself as one of the best drivers of his time in Formula 1. The 38-year-old was content with his career after his maiden title victory. Moreover, the German even declined an offer for a seat in Formula E. As Rosberg has made it clear that he was not willing to go back to racing.

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