“I was afraid of…,” Nico Rosberg reveals shocking reason behind his retirement after 2016 title win over Lewis Hamilton

Nico Rosberg, the former Mercedes driver, has recently shed light on why he decided to call it quits in F1 after the end of the 2016 campaign. His decision to walk away after winning the 2016 World Championship came as a huge shock in the F1 world, but Rosberg has admitted that he was afraid of what was ahead of him in F1.

Nico Rosberg is a Mercedes legend, and while shedding light on his decision to say Sayonara to the pinnacle of motor racing after 2016, he said, “[I was] afraid that at some point I wouldn’t be good enough and that no team would want me anymore. I wanted to decide for myself.” The German has surprisingly made it known that he did not have faith in his own abilities to do well in F1 after 2016. This is extremely shocking to know, considering Rosberg’s pedigree as a racing driver.

It is well-known to the ardent followers of F1 that Nico Rosberg was obsessed with winning the 2016 F1 World Championship and, thus, gave his undivided attention to the task at hand. He did not let anything come in the way of his 2016 target, including his family. Talking further about his decision, Rosberg added, “In a way, I gave up my identity. Everything in my life was racing: my mechanics, my engineers, my team-mates, even my social environment.”

Looking at Rosberg’s comments, it is quite clear how much the 2016 season demanded of him in order to get the better of his then-teammate, Lewis Hamilton. The Brit is one of the best racers in the history of the sport, and taking this fact into review, Rosberg’s decision to leave F1 makes sense from his point of view.

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Nico Rosberg admits he quit F1 to follow his other interests

Nico Rosberg has given two clear reasons for leaving F1 at the end of the 2016 season, but there is one more that he feels also played a crucial role in his final decision. While talking about the same, he said, “To put all that to zero in one fell swoop was a shock to my system. Then there was the addiction to recognition and success. I had never asked myself what other passions I had. There was always just the next race.”

The German had made it known that during the 2016 season, there were moments when he just had enough of the sport. After every event, there was another race, and he wanted to break this cycle. Moreover, in order to do so, he decided to leave F1 forever with a heavy heart. But since then, he has been pleased with the things he has been doing.

The 2016 fight between Hamilton and Rosberg was an extremely close one and, to date, is remembered by die-hard fans of the sport. They pushed each other throughout the 2016 campaign and, in the process of doing so, were able to produce sensational racing. It would have been great to see the duo fight in 2017, but it is what it is, and at the end of the day, everyone has to respect Rosberg’s decision.

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