Nico Rosberg’s retirement from Formula One in 2016 came as a surprise – “even to me,” he says with a grin. Just five days after winning the sport’s world title aged 31 and only ten years into his career, Rosberg abruptly walked away from the track. Having finished first in nine of the season’s 21 grands prix and achieved 16 podium finishes, Rosberg took the overall title from his former Mercedes teammate, Lewis Hamilton, in the final race. After being crowned the “best in the world at what I did”, Rosberg “didn’t feel the need” to carry on. “I was listening to my feelings,” he says, “and I just wanted to say thank you very much [to my fans], you’ve been sensational, but now I’m going to bow out, on the highest moment possible.”
Since leaving the track Rosberg has found a range of new interests, including “protecting the planet”, which he says “should be one for everyone”. An “inspirational, soul-searching trip” to San Francisco’s Silicon Valley tech district shortly after his final race informed an environmental awareness “that I guess wasn’t really there before”, he explains.“When I was racing, I didn’t give it [climate change] as much thought. I was just focused on winning and that was that. But after retiring, it was a case of broadening my horizons… I visited Tesla on my trip, and I saw the massive potential that e-mobility has to do good for our planet. It’s not the ultimate step, but it is a big part of how we can reduce the impact of energy-intensive industries.”
Content from our partners
