Nico Rosberg retires from F1Formula 1

[EngieDiesel]

... an asshat of a colleague who does bollock all but lark around and belittle you, putting in the occasional absolutely stellar shift when everyone's watching and blaming everyone else when it doesn't work...

It wouldn't surprise me for a second if part of Nico's decision to retire was due to him feeling that Hamilton would create a poisonous atmosphere within the team next year. Hell, that's the exact reason I left my job a couple years ago, a co-worker who was dragging everything down because they thought everyone else was holding them back.

 

[EDK]

Shocked to hear it this morning, I saw it on Jalopnik at first and I seriously thought it was a troll/fake headline.

Always great to see a world class competitor go out on top, good for Nico, and good to get the last laugh as well.

As for replacements, I am guessing it will be Weirlein.

If it IS Alonso, then I am guessing Mercedes is not ahead of the curve on next year's formula.

Verstappen would be silly to leave Red Bull with a more aero dependent formula coming in next year, and I just don't see them letting him walk. Wasn't that the whole point of promoting him from the junior team mid season?

 

[TRGTspecialist]

Absolutely laughing my ass off at the people "Disappointed"

As long as fans of Rosberg respect his decision, I don't see anything wrong with them being disappointed that he's leaving the stage. It's only natural.

 

[RACECAR]

As long as fans of Rosberg respect his decision, I don't see anything wrong with them being disappointed that he's leaving the stage. It's only natural.

Oh I don't mean them, I mean the ones that are complaining because "How dare you quit on me".

 

[Terronium-12]

Sure people spin th whole family reasons stuff but I'm not buying that from a 31 year old.

It's your own will to believe whatever you want, but the only people Nico owed an explanation to were his employers. He could have rode off into the sunset without nary a word spoken.

He has far more time to spend with is family than the average working person and everyone else manages with a far less affluent life.

He isn't everyone else, so that's really all there is to that. I see no connection to the "average working person" as more often than not that average person is doing whatever they're doing for the sole purpose of being with their family for as long as possible.

Just for the record "He has far more time to spend with his family" is a logical fallacy as there's no predicting what can happen in the span of several minutes, let alone another year.

An F1 drivers prime is hardly long anyway so there plenty of time for a home life afterwards.

He achieved want he wanted from the sport and overcame his greatest adversary all in the same season. Why subject himself to the same merry-go-round if he doesn't want to, or better still if he no longer has the drive to do so?

I'm sorry but you have disappointed me Nico. If every first time champion left after they won people would go off F1 pretty quickly! He could have at least stuck around for a year to defend his title even if it was just out of showmanship.

I can only presume this is for comedic purpose?

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Just heard the news and I'm stunned, why on earth would you retire with at least a few more years left in you connected to a highly competitive team in what will possibly be the most exciting F1 years to come.

He has said that he has achieved everything that he wanted to achieve and that he knows he isn't up for another gruelling title fight. He has already admitted that the pressure of the 2016 title battle slowed him down because he knew that if he pushed too hard and made a mistake or ruined an engine or a gearbox, the title would go to Hamilton.

For me it just screams that his heart isn't/hasn't been in the sport (like many other successful sportsman mind) and now that he has got the top prize he's off.

Why not go out on a high?

Sure people spin the whole family reasons stuff but I'm not buying that from a 31 year old. He has far more time to spend with is family than the average working person and everyone else manages with a far less affluent life

A couple of years ago, Jenson Button said that he would retire from the sport the day he became a father. As it happened, he retired before that day came, but he cannot be the only driver thinking like that.

 

[ShiftingGears]

All the best for Rosberg, not everyone lucky enough to be an F1 driver has the opportunity to truly leave on their own terms, especially as a world champion.

Hoping Alonso for a final crack in winning machinery in 2017, or Verstappen because I expect fireworks.

 

[cunny17]

You have fulfilled your life time ambition, you have £20+ million in the bank.
How many people here would keep working.

Well done Nico, enjoy the rest of your life how YOU want.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Hoping Alonso for a final crack in winning machinery, or Verstappen because I expect fireworks

Alonso's contract is believed to be watertight. Verstappen's is known to be watertight, but even if it wasn't, popular wisdom suggests that Red Bull is the team to be with in 2017 as the revised regulations will shift the balance of power to aerodynamic grip. Even if the Renault engine is weaker than the Mercedes, it's expected that the newfound emphasis on aero grip will overcome that deficit.

 

[EngieDiesel]

Hoping Alonso for a final crack in winning machinery, or Verstappen because I expect fireworks

I don't see Verstappen going anywhere for a good long while, especially after that performance in Brazil. As for Alonso, McLaren's new boss wants him to stay put, and Alonso himself said he wants he sees how the 2017 cars shake out performancewise before making any decisions.

 

[Robin]

It's your own will to believe whatever you want, but the only people Nico owed an explanation to were his employers. He could have rode off into the sunset without nary a word spoken.

So people who live in the public eye and reap all the benefits it brings owe no one but themselves an explanation when they bail on the world that made them? Maybe F1 should be run behind closed doors then seeing as the fan base is irrelevant.

Why not go out on a high?

He could have tried for another, could have gone out even higher. I don't think his legacy would be tarnished by not winning next year. Many drivers have continued and had far worse performances for many years after and still left the sport very well respected.

 

[dan0543]

You have fulfilled your life time ambition, you have £20+ million in the bank.
How many people here would keep working.

Well done Nico, enjoy the rest of your life how YOU want.

I see the reasoning, but can you really call F1 working? I think a lot of drivers want to stay in the sport out of enjoyment, they feel like they have found their calling and take pride in what they do. Now i'm no competitive driver but if I was in the situation, I would stick it out a bit longer. But then I can't judge because I haven't got a wife or child so I suppose his feeling might be different

 

[Terronium-12]

So people who live in the public eye and reap all the benefits it brings owe no one but themselves an explanation

...

when they bail on the world that made them?

First and foremost this is hyperbole, secondly who exactly did he bail on? His fans? He's been in the sport for a decade, so it's not a case of him debuting this season, winning, and then hauling ass. That, at the very least, would be a different story than what's being pulled from thin air here.

He chose to spend the rest of his current days (who knows when or if that competitive "itch" will ever surface again) with his family as he's achieved exactly what he's wanted from the sport; he's looking at the bigger picture.

Maybe F1 should be run behind closed doors then seeing as the fan base is irrelevant.

More hyperbole?

 

[Bram Turismo]

I see the reasoning, but can you really call F1 working?

To go through their sort of training to be superfit like them? Yes, I call that very hard work. There's more to it than to drive fast for 90 minutes come race day.

 

[Tyger]

I've been thinking about this some more and it's actually pretty difficult to see who could replace him next season, considering contractual ties etc. and looking at who is actually "free", though I appreciate there is some flexibility. I keep coming back to Jenson though on a fixed one-year contract, if he wanted it. The only other drivers with the level of class Mercedes want/require are tied in to other teams.

 

[TenEightyOne]

So apparently furious Ham-fans are starting to claim that Rosberg's sudden decision to retire is proof that he conspired with the team to steal the championship from Hamilton.

Must be. It's either that or Brexit, somehow.

 

[Sum1s2pid]

Wins championship, drops mic, and walks away from F1. Ballsy. I can respect that. Good on you, Nico.

Now what. Phones must be blowing up all over the place. Anxious to see what happens next.

 

[TenEightyOne]

Now what. Phones must be blowing up all over the place.

Unlikely, they've all spent the evening together in the same dining room.

 

[Eva]

I admire what Rosberg has done. He went through quite literally mental hell the past three years, wondering if he could ever get to his dream, and being forced into desperation and still coming short in 2014 and 2015. He has a daughter, he wants to be a better father, and has prioritized that ahead of all else since his ambition is complete. He's been in F1 itself for a decade, add another 15 years to his ladder to the top, he's tied on the wins list with Nelson Piquet, ahead of Damon Hill, Mika Hakkinen, and Kimi Raikkonen, just one short of Fangio and two short of Lauda. He can say that he saw Lewis at his best struggle and fail to eclipse him again. And with 2017 rules coming in, this may have been his last chance at a championship before Red Bull resurge. The man is burnt out, and I'd hate to imagine what may happen to Verstappen in 10 years time. People may consider it cowardly for whatever reason, but he's the champion, and will forever be a World Champion.

 

[chromatic9]

I respect his decision. He often mentions his family and he probably sees there's not much to give after 34 for himself so why not retire at the top now at 31 and be there for his family. He's achieved the dream. To actually get in F1 and stay there for 10 years is a dream.

Also as someone who's 37, time flies the older you get I'm sure he's going to savour his private life now and do lots of activties. The dedication needed is quite immense and can take a toll on your partner..

If he misses the sport he can always come back and do a decent job for a top half team.

 

[Whodoyouthink]

I am surprised. But honestly, I kept thinking if he hadn't won the Driver's Championship, I thought he might quit F1, or even, half-seriously, off himself. It would just seem like so much to put forward so much effort after 2-3 years of very close chances, then to only fall short again. Mentally we saw in 2014-2015 how winded up he was starting to get. As a fan, it actually was stressful to think about. It's absurd to think about, but then I think about all the tragic self-inflicted deaths of other successful athletes, musicians, etc.

I mean I think most of us didn't really sense this retirement, so all the more it's hard to speculate how he personally would take losses like that and such.

I'm really curious what other interests Nico has, maybe he'll do something unique? Wouldn't be surprised if he takes on commentating or some sort of spokesman type of position though. Seems so commonplace.

 

[C-ZETA]

I actually gasped when I first saw the news. But really, he's chosen to go out on top, and there's nothing wrong with that. And you can't argue with putting your family first, either. Especially not with the nature of the job.

I really liked him as a driver, actually. When he was battling for the title the first time, heck, even before that in places, he might well have only been second best, but that didn't stop him going for it all. I always thought him as the plucky guy, up against it, who'd come second. And I like individuals like that. Except this year, he kept going and going and going and...hey, whaddya know? At the end of it all, he had won after all. Really, his title is the happiest I've been for a winner since 2008.

All my respect to Nico and his decision. I hope he enjoys the rest of his life; he's earned it!

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Wins championship, drops mic, and walks away from F1. Ballsy. I can respect that. Good on you, Nico.

Alain Prost did exactly the same thing, albeit for very different reasons.

 

[PeterJB]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/38185582

So, even though he didn't deserve the championship, he's now a classy man, probably because he's effectively handed Lewis the 2017 title on a plate.

 

[Jakedog23]

^^^Depends on how everyone adjusts to the new regulations^^^

 

[ScottPuss20]

I'm sorry what? I want to say a lot of things but I simply can't summarise them. However, there is one thing...

GET RICCIARDO IN THAT MERCEDES NOW

 

[TenEightyOne]

So, even though he didn't deserve the championship

Huh? Where did they say that?

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

This is refreshing and I gain far more respect for the guy, he beat the best (despite how it's spun), became known as a fast driver in the past 4 years. He's achieved enough and no matter what he'll be remembered. It's refreshing because people in this sport or other high end race categories keep doing it until they're old and losing the edge they once had. He won, said that the chapter of his life was done with and is now on to a new adventure, best of luck to him and a great way to be a champion.

 

[trustjab]

Kinda shocked that he retired, but it doesn't affect me any. No drama from Lewis made that decision either. The media likes to play up this huge mind game and falling out between the two but it's mostly down to the team's decisions causing controversy we get these outrageous news headlines. Good show from Nico, even if he was a little lucky to get in the title this year with the good reliability, it's still his title and his decision. I think he's still friends with Lewis and there's no ill will between them. If he wants to go and be a family man, cool. Whether that's all there is to it or not makes no difference to me.

 

[TRGTspecialist]

So, even though he didn't deserve the championship, he's now a classy man

Huh? Where did they say that?

Even if they did, I don't see how the two arguments are contradictory.

I'm sorry what? I want to say a lot of things but I simply can't summarise them. However, there is one thing...

GET RICCIARDO IN THAT MERCEDES NOW

I don't know, on the eve of new aero-focused regulations it would be a big risk to abandon an Adrian Newey car...........him and Max are probably safer staying where they are now.