Former F1 world champion Nico Rosberg has vowed not to return to the sport as head of the F1 team.
Nico Rosberg, who defeated longtime rival and team-mate Lewis Hamilton to win the 2016 F1 world championship, made the unexpected decision to retire from F1 at the young age of 31.
Nico Rosberg has cited a desire to spend more time with his family as the reason for his decision. Fellow German Sebastian Vettel has also suggested the same reasons behind his choice to retire from F1 at the end of the 2022 season.
Since retiring from F1, Nico Rosberg has embarked on a number of other business ventures, including founding his extreme E team, Rosberg X Racing.
In the 2022 Extreme E, Nico Rosberg’s team finished second, just two points behind Lewis Hamilton’s team. He said he enjoys the series’ more relaxed lifestyle.
Nico Rosberg has told AS that the possibility of running a team in F1 is “clearly no”.
“Good question,” said 37-year-old Nico Rosberg.
“A lot of people have asked me if I would like to one day be a team principal for a Formula 1 team because Extreme E is doing so incredibly well. My answer is a definite no.”
“The good thing about Extreme E is that there are not too many races. Right now we have five races a year, but F1 has 24 races a year, so it becomes a full-time life commitment. I spend very little time with my family and friends…and I’ve experienced that.”
“As a former racing driver, I don’t want to do that again. That intensity, that dedication, that inflexibility in life… Now I love my life and it’s full in F1. It means that the possibility of working for Time will be absolute.”
The all-encompassing nature of the F1 season has also been raised by current world champion Max Verstappen, who said his contract had expired and he could retire at 31, the same age Nico Rosberg retired from F1. suggesting that it is sexual.
“I haven’t decided what to do after 2028. I may stop,” Verstappen told the Daily Mail.
“I’ve been in Formula 1 since I was 17. It’s been a long time. I’ve had many seasons in Formula 1.”
“At least in F1, I don’t think I’m driving until I’m 40. I want to do other things, but I definitely have a few more years in F1.”
Category: F1 / Nico Rosberg