Nico Rosberg: Why I retired

Nico Rosberg explains his decision to retire from Formula 1 immediately after winning his first F1 championship at 31-years-old, as well as how he informed Mercedes executives and his wife.
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Episode debuted nationwide in 2017.
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#f1 #formula1 #nicorosberg

[@sbrmilitia]

Niki Lauda said in one of his last interviews that racing consumed his life. His children, his wife and loved ones too a backseat to racing. Nico reaching the pinnacle of auto racing and then turning his focus away from racing for his family is very commendable.

[@Whynot83848]

In my head I heard, "Niki Lauda once said...."

[@jeffbezos1187]

@@Whynot83848 bruh same. 😂😂😂😂

[@elonmusk9697]

It's sad that this passion will be taken away from our kids

[@Maroslavka]

Retirement of Nico is the reason of LH titles 2017-2020.

[@sbrmilitia]

@@Maroslavka there is a valid argument there but we will never know for sure

[@nickolastiguan]

Considering how much hair Seb had lost, I’d say Nico made the right decision.

[@neisseria]

lol underrated comment

[@geovani.santos]

Hahahahahahahahahaha!! That was good! Hahahahahahahahahaha!!

[@ratkomilutinovic829]

True 😂 bt still a pucci move from Nico Rosberg. We all know he wud never Stop Lewis next year!

[@arigabou]

@@ratkomilutinovic829 He knew it himself too, thats why he retired.

[@dsadassddasads7841]

he really did

[@scottrobinson4611]

I can't help but respect his decision. Imagine having a wife that you can barely spend any time with. For 8-9 months of the year you're constantly travelling, and constantly focused on your job. It would consume you. Now imagine, you reach the pinnacle of your career. There is no higher achievement, and it took years of battling Lewis to get there. Do you continue living the life of sacrifice, for another uncertain chance of winning? Or do you quit while you're on top. Choose to live life on your own terms. Spend time with your wife and be there to raise your child(ren). Spend some time resting and reflecting on the commitment, sacrifice and success of 11 years in F1. For Nico, it sounds like he made the perfect choice.

[@j4min1]

He's admitting Lewis is a better driver and he won a championship Lewis should have won. It's unlikely he can do it again, so he quit.

[@willbeattie9985]

@@j4min1 Did you read what the comment said? It wasn't that he couldn't beat lewis again, he just wanted to quit for his own reasons

[@j4min1]

@@willbeattie9985 believe what you want to believe

[@willbeattie9985]

@@j4min1 I will mate, same for you too

[@pennywise9081]

@@j4min1 what do you mean Lewis should have won? Still butthurt about Malaysia?

[@suhdud4646]

Epic save on the "Retire early" question. And retiring after doing something for 21 years regardless of age, is a long time.

[@TheMarcosdeo]

Im 30yrs old and I wish I could retire now haha. Good on him.

[@murphymoerf]

Well it's not like he has retired from everything. He still goes to PR events and is working for German F1 coverage on RTL. I also wouldn't be surprised if he drives touring cars or something in the future

[@ljprep6250]

I wish I could have retired at even 2% of his net worth.

[@jamesfeguson3445]

@@AtomicVoid95 that's not possible for everyone?

[@felipe5512]

@@jamesfeguson3445 it is possible and very very hard.

[@essayedgar]

@@felipe5512 It's not possible for everybody

[@Bahamuttiamat]

You know, I've got to give rosberg credit, beating lewis literally took everything he had. While people like to criticize lewis for his lifestyle, the mere fact that he can do the things he does and still compete at the highest level is a testament to his prodigious talent.

[@thelarry383]

Lewis must have a huge chip on his shoulder this year. should be exciting to watch

[@519achilles]

U are an idiot

[@anujmchitale]

Lewis is very close to legendary status. 4 championships is no joke. I didn't like his behaviour when at McLaren with Alonso. But in the hindsight of 4 championships, Alonso was rather a dick to ask for special treatment. P.s. I still am a big fan of Alonso, so don't shit on me for the opinion. Sensible debates always welcomed.

[@freddo9377]

lewis is a good driver, but i really hate is attitude to his teammates

[@anujmchitale]

Freddo Well he wants his teammates to be the support guys for him. Just like Alonso wanted, Schumacher got or even Vettel at Redbull.

[@paulwevers2109]

Rosberg telling truth. "I was a bit tired. 21 years of racing. I realised that beating Lewis the next year would take everything out of me. He is just better and handles pressure better so beating him again is a fight i probably cant win. Now is a time to retire at the highest point of my career" Thats ok Nico. Nothing to be ashamed of. Your a great humble guy. People understand and respect you for it.

[@Dream-Academy]

YOU missed out this bit. " I mean I hate to cheat this year in qualifying blocking Lewis from having a chance to beat my time." I probably wont have a chance to fuck him up like that again!"

[@JohnnyHothand]

Stephen Fry man you really hate Nico right?

[@MOo8996cz]

@@Dream-Academy Uhhh, you might need to check your ears... or brain

[@thedevil5475]

@@Dream-Academy that was in 2014, not 2016 man. and lewis played some tricks too

[@jameswandsworth7306]

He’s a coward

[@robjla1]

Lewis makes winning look easy. That year Nico won looked he looked stressed

[@mangwana808toof]

ROB P he really did, it took everything out of him and he thought to do that again would be demanding. It takes a lot to beat Lewis, requires drivers to be the best and have a killer in them Bottas is finding that out

[@JonLondrezos]

The important thing is that he beat Lewis in the same car. Who else can say that?

[@nickrushbrook8415]

@@JonLondrezos Jenson Button

[@JonLondrezos]

@@nickrushbrook8415 If you are referring to 2011, then that's not really a good example because Lewis had 3 DNF, a few penalties and wasn't really fighting for the championship anyway.

[@takwangchan9959]

Schumey proved that Fitness plays a much bigger role in maintaining focus behind the wheel these days. You notice how today's drivers come out of the cars much more energetic than Senna, Prost, Mansell, etc. (Yes the man. Shift cars/ early autoshift cars didn't have p/s, p/b? Other driver aids. They were harder to drive despite having more aero downforce.Today's cars are actually harder to drive b/c they have less aero downforce. They have more complex vet. To drive(gas/ electronic robotic cars which they don't have much control over;albeit much safer).

[@kbar1590]

Lives in Monaco. Family has really well financial sense, and he got an F1 championship. Looks like a good plan. Lucky guy who capitalized on his good fortune and good for him.

[@essayedgar]

Don't act as if all he had was luck. Yes, you have to be born into a wealthy family etc but without the talent he wouldn't have competed at the highest level for years

[@kbar1590]

I wasn’t contesting his skill level. And why am I defending my statement which to me was purely a compliment. There’s no need for ignorant antagonism. I’ve followed F1 and their drivers since the Senna days. I know Nicos skill level. I know most of these guys are groomed since childhood in karting. There are lots of turds raised in wealthy families, but not many with a racing background. The odds of being born into a wealthy family with your dad already an F1 champion are fairly small. And to capitalize and not blow it is a compliment to his parents. I still stand by my statement. He’s a lucky guy and I’m proud of him for making his own name and getting a championship during the Hamilton era. That takes balls and luck is on his side

[@SK-kh2rs]

@@essayedgar F1 low talent pool. They ain't that talented.

[@mrdude9671]

Dude just gave up 130 million USD that’s a bit too much .

[@o0oStillWeRiseo0o]

Much respect! You accomplish your childhood dreams, go out on top, and begin a new journey with your family

[@rryankellyy]

AyrtonHamilton2785 Finally a Hamilton fan not talking shit about Nico

[@dalysiastokes3140]

He's got a wife and she is pregnant,he achieved he's childhood dream,he's got $ in the bank he's made it #lifegoals

[@antdx316]

100% correct

[@FusionDice]

wtf

[@ZeitlosVT]

nico says hes racing 21 year, while kimi räikkönen been F1 nearly same period.

[@swampthing94]

Yeah this is Kimi's 18th season in F1. Pretty amazing when you think about it

[@cpgixxer]

Kimi's the best ice man

[@kuzeytekinoglu8214]

It's more like a hobby for him though

[@sidiox7857]

@@kuzeytekinoglu8214 so obviously he doesn't have to race if he doesn't want to.

[@kuzeytekinoglu8214]

@@sidiox7857 yep

[@paulswales336]

It takes a real man to make that decision while at the top of your game. I take my hat off to you too Nico.

[@nsneed]

It seems like he just didn't want to become second again, Lewis won both years prior, and then both years afterward. The year Nico won Hamilton has lots of car issues, I think he knew he couldn't repeat against H.

[@SuperTurhake]

@@nsneed Even tho that is true, the man wanted to see his family growing up and not get anymore distance from them? It was a really good decision!

[@Dream-Academy]

No it takes a pussy to bailout of a fight he knew he was unlikely to win again. Not to defend his title for just one year is a sign of a real pussy. Also please note that he used dirty tactics for example he cheated in qualifying by blocking the track in the second session of Q3 so Lewis didn't get a chance to beat his time!

[@JohnnyHothand]

Stephen Fry and it takes a real douchebag to still be mad about 2016. Maybe Nico would have won again in 2017 if he stayed. We will never know.

[@monishdey3705]

@@JohnnyHothand lmao noo way your merc team's golden boy is lewis not nico so even if nico stayed in 2017 raced against lewis, team would have favoured lewis, because he has more championships than nico and the team's aim is to beat schumacher's record.

[@BB-lx7wm]

Nico winning the 2016 championship was gutting for me as a Lewis Hamilton fan. But Nico's accomplishments must not be diminished. He was a superb ambassador for Mercedes before their rise. He speaks many languages eloquently. Most (not all😆) of his analysis of #F1 is fair and balanced. His love for his family is evident. My wish is that in my lifetime he and Lewis will overcome the hurt they have had to put on each other to become the best of the best. Well done Nico and may your life be abundant and fulfilled 💜

[@jayramdas2377]

Nico was just lucky n the whole thing was stage managed fm the begining when they were told to swap mechanics. Then ham had so many mechanical n unreliability l issues that put him imposible to haul back the points .remember he lost 25 pts when his engine blew up when leading . So nico should consider hi self lucky to have won the one n only championship whereas Ham has won 6.

[@BB-lx7wm]

@@jayramdas2377 hello there. Yes Lewis should have won the championship that year but Malaysia 💔 and Japan (distracted) was where he lost it. Bad luck yes, but you could appreciate how Nico put his life on hold that year just to win the Championship. Remember the tortoise and the hare? You have to cross the line 1st to win. We will probably never hear the real full story of 2016 but it is what it is. Nico was champ and he got the job done. You cannot take that away from him. 💜

[@tripodthreefoot2268]

Rosberg and Hamilton made F1 more entertaining, I missed the rivalry, the close encounters

[@linanicolia1363]

It will be safer for Lewis.

[@czerruiz7192]

i believe Nico was the one and only driver who gave LH years of tough times, by not letting LH won titles easily. i do admit LH is the better driver compared to Nico,but the intense battles for many years gave lot of moments. Valteri Bottas is waaayy easy for LH to win titles.

[@tripodthreefoot2268]

@@czerruiz7192 Correct, Bottas anger is a different anger, it's for a different type of success in his head, he's being beaten by Hamilton and at times Max because his head I believe is angry with personal issues.

[@RikiNewtonMusicianSongwriter]

Yes they certainly did ! Their rivalry was up there with Prost Senna et al and I miss that too - which gives away the fact I’m an old git - lol.

[@SladesShitboxGarage]

Rosberg>Hamilton

[@thejonathanrath]

He quit at the top. Can't really argue with that. Respect.

[@modelcitizen1977]

Rosberg has that old money class and he’s super humble about it.

[@davidvenegas6401]

He knows he will never be as good as Lewis Hamilton.

[@manawearblack]

@@davidvenegas6401 Lewis Hamilton is a poser bellend and all English people think it except the kids, all his fans are either 12 years old or Asian. And liking your own comments will not change that

[@davidvenegas6401]

@@manawearblack You are right. That's why Lewis Hamilton only has 1 championship while Nico Rosberg has 5. Oh wait. Hahahaha.

[@manawearblack]

@@davidvenegas6401 It has nothing to do with how many world championships he has. I didn't mention his skill? English people hate him because we know how fake he is. And if it wasn't for Mercedes he wouldn't have the world championships he's got, in the best car by far for years and is taking easy titles

[@Irock2412]

James Wagstaff yes because Hamilton magically got the best car on the grid as soon as he joined Mercedes and it didn’t take them any time at all to instantly start winning.

[@niekmoller6415]

His english is really good

[@exzelzo]

Nico fluent in 5 languages if I'm not mistaken

[@lukebeisser4790]

All f1 drivers have good english

[@lukebeisser4790]

Hiro Sanchez ?

[@0rouni0]

He grow up in Monaco and in Monaco people speaks multiple languages so no wonder Nico speaks 5 different languages. But surprisingly Finnish ain't one of them as Keke, Nicos father is Finnish.

[@olevet75]

His father was Finn and mother German, they spoke English probably while he was growing up

[@sirius9108]

This is why I believe Hamilton is mentally the strongest between the two is because Lewis refuses to settle down. That's why I think Vettel and Kimi both took a fall was because they had families. I don't see Lewis marrying until he's done racing because he sees it as a distraction. I don't know if that's healthy but it keeps him winning.

[@GRYL180]

Some people are indifferent to settling down; mental strength has nothing to do with it.

[@nautzfanai1838]

Yea that's exactly what I'm thinking .. Either family or winning.. I think its hard to have both with the amount of work , concentration and traveling they have to sacrifice..

[@bawili]

Exactly! It takes incredible, immense sacrifice to be at the top including sacrificing family. What worries me is how Lewis will live after he is done shattering the records. Family is also important because family brings balance in life. I wonder how Lewis spends his evenings after winning a race especially during this Corona period, I guess it's a lot of lonely nights for him, then followed by long next days of preparing for the next race...that, must be mightily exhausting and the magnitude of mental strength needed must be immense! Then imagine doing that year long, for decades!

[@linanicolia1363]

Lewis seems like a wild man, with control and ambition, as well as he loves what he does !!!!

[@riquejb9838]

@@GRYL180 I think if you have a family you need to put your dreams and objectives after your family. You can see, have you ever seen a dad fulfilling his dreams with a child? No, but I have seen a dad have a kid after fulfilling his dreams. So yeah, balancing your passion and your family is something that is very hard, either you do everything to win a F1 WDC or you do everything you can to keep your family healthy and good.

[@franchica]

That moment you realise that Nico beat Schumacher and Hamiltom 👀

[@shuweb]

In some ways this is best decision rosberg ever made. Imagine when Hamilton has all the major f1 records, rosberg will he known as the only driver to beat the future GOAT in equal machinery...

[@shuweb]

Mirsad Redzovic I hear ya, but that’s racing so you can’t really deny rosberg his due respect. Everyone know Hamilton is the superior driver, and probably the greatest driver ever. But that’s racing, otherwise there’s many a championship that could have not been deserved... I.e Hamilton, Massa - really that was massa’s championship... Renault was caught cheating in Singapore (piquet planned crash)... but not many people argue against that being Hamilton’s championship. Also pretty sure Rosberg had some unfortunate relatability issue in one of the seasons races.

[@kokobmekonen4114]

@Mirsad Redzovic R.I.P niki said nico is retired because he can't beat Hamilton you just need to see niki's interview

[@CrADrafgo]

And now Max beat Lewis in what is probably inferior machinery, with a lot of luck that is

[@mrdude9671]

@@CrADrafgomax led more laps , more podiums , more poles but it’s LUCK , cuz he is not British .

[@CrADrafgo]

@@mrdude9671 how do you mean?

[@fix-and-drive-diy-repairs]

Once you have kids, everything changes. Family comes first. The stress of high class racing can put a lot of pressure on your family. He did the right thing to retire. He got the championship and well done. All the best for the future.

[@USA4thewin]

Family before everything and family wins in the end ... well done Nico

[@Diesel32]

And now he is expert from 2018 for germany TV. BULLSHIT!!!! If it was for his family he wouldnt be expert for RTL! Its the same, you are not at home by your family!!! He just didnt wanted to be beaten by Hamilton again!

[@rafaeluhu]

@@Diesel32 agree. because he is not there for his family at as before, he is always following the races, still working in the youtube channel, every month he is working even more, I don't mean he has to live 24h with his family, but this excuse is bullshit. he just didn't want to be beaten.

[@daniel6009]

@@rafaeluhu watching f1 races and having a yt channel is not exactly working more than being a f1 LMAO

[@rafaeluhu]

​@@daniel6009 I know mate, but still working in something that makes him travel a lot and be away from his family, it is not just formula 1 anymore, he is and always will be busy of course, and he has to be, he is healthy and deserves to do whatever that makes him happy. But it wasn't the real reason, in my opinion. I respect and think that he was actually smart, this guys when are champions it is everything they want and nothing else. But be honest, business people if they retire for family, they retire from BUSINESS.

[@daniel6009]

@@rafaeluhu he is like 30 years old. Why would he stop doing anything business related? He achieved his goal and lost his hunger, so he quit. And yes, he travels but it's nowhere close to being on a permanent trip throughout the world like f1.

[@petyrkowalski9887]

Awesome achievement but he clearly either couldnt or didnt want to continue at that level of focus and dedication. He is a family man and he has made a good decision. lewis H has a different life focus and everything revolves around F1 for him and for Nico it evidently doesnt. He has done the right thing.

[@MrArubach]

I got nothing but respect for you Nico...i still remember the picture of your wife, your little girl and you walk in dubai after you won...you are nothing but a true man and a true champ

[@RhayaderGoesToTown]

Great emotional intelligence from Nico. I love hearing him talk.

[@thomassinikangas]

A bit ashamed I didn't respect him more while being active. Such a nice guy! Love the content he's been producing following his retirement and when looking back at his active career I can see how sympathetic and great he was!

[@IonutTudorica]

Again, a perfect interview performance from Graham.

[@rustedbiscuits874]

I’ve gained a lot of respect for this man over the years

[@spionsilver9626]

that man won races , titles and made a ton of money and then retired to live a good life with a beautiful wife and lovely children totally succeded at live if ye ask me

[@tns2263]

exactly, did what he loved to do from the youngest, succeeded at it, made a lot of cash and now he has a family that he can fully commit to without any regrets, because he ended his carrer with WDC.

[@mindright9771]

Good for Nico. I am glad he left with his head held high as he should be. He has a wonderful family and deserves to enjoy that part of his life now. He accomplished more than most Formula 1 drivers do. I am an even bigger fan of his because he ended his career on his terms and no one else. Good on ya mate!

[@gregoryf9299]

100% understanding and respect to Nico. Family first, always. I have many colleagues who made similar decisions in their (different) careers and all were happier. And it opened up opportunities for new folks to move up and fill those voids.

[@dalysiastokes3140]

everyone just leave him alone, none of us know how much stress, pressure it is to be in f1 a high risk sport

[@Phantombay415]

Go cry about it

[@rangga7550]

@@Phantombay415 lmao

[@yvonnepingleton5063]

Nico is nice in this interview, but every other time I've seen him do commentating, and interviews he's full of himself.

[@Solimci]

Many people talk about retiring when they're on top but the fewest really pull it off. I respect this man and his decision.

[@gabysolis9475]

He did it, he won his championship and focused to another important things like the family. To win to Hamilton shows the extraordinary talent that he has. I admire people who know retiring in their pick’s career .

[@rohitnautiyal7090]

He is very fortunate and he knows his limits. people loss everything when they start to get greedy but it’s amazing to see someone is that satisfied with their life accomplishments you can tell just by looking at him

[@mariesmith435]

He did everything right. Family is the most important thing😊

[@Diesel32]

And now he is expert from 2018 for germany TV. BULLSHIT!!!! If it was for his family he wouldnt be expert for RTL! Its the same, you are not at home by your family!!! He just didnt wanted to be beaten by Hamilton again!

[@freddo9377]

sure... keep believing that

[@topspin9430]

limeni777 Being a TV expert is a far lesser commitment than driving in F1, don't you think? You heard what he said about being there with his family, but not quite, even when it isn't a race weekend. And then there is all that fitness stuff, practice, working with the team, the publicity & sponsor engagements, and a million other things, I suppose. I guess its about priorities, and Nico probably decided that its time to focus on other things after winning the championship. What's wrong with that? I'm no great fan of Nico's but I completely see why he'd retire, and I respect it.

[@mercamia]

@@Diesel32 Ah yes, keyboard shortcuts

[@oscarpark1523]

Nico was my favorite driver from the beginning of his f1 career and I looked like a prophet when he beat M.S. People felt like they were outsmarted when he retired; But he’s beaten two of the greats and was world champion; At such a young age, what more do you really need?

[@ferreira1370]

Nico is really encouraging guy! I'm very impressive!

[@li3592]

Almost after 4 years to think about his retirement, such a brilliant!

[@reignmkr64]

This is a much better part of the interview!

[@GloomGaiGar]

One of the few people to show Lewis, "you are not invincible". Anyone can tell him that but to literally beat him through action, that is how you make a statement.

[@TheTororist]

lewis outqualified him and won more races that season. his own engine ''beat him through action'' (read malfunction)

[@aaronwestley3239]

Nico Rosberg won with pure luck, and not skill. It was Hamilton's engine that decided the championship. And there's no argument in that - that's the nature of F1. You either win in sheer pace and skill, or you hope the fastest guy retires or his car broken. That's it. That's why Nico Rosberg will never ever reach the status Kimi, Alonso, Vettel and let alone Hamilton have. Racing isn't his life. And he deserves respect for that. But that simultaneously made him unfit for the "great driver" title.

[@rockmorales]

Very true. One of the few to beat Hamilton at his very best. Even when Nico had more car problems in 2014 people didn't say anything. Then when 2016 Lewis had problems they barked it all loud.

[@gabe1244]

nico and lewis are locked in a life long battle on and off the track, they battle mentally. I'd be willing to bet nico is done fighting him. Lewis has more to do with Nicos retirement than we thibk. there was probably a wager placed on Nicos retirement

[@nsneed]

I totally agree, and Nico one in a year H had lots of car issues, he knw that wouldn't happen again...

[@paulthomson9709]

Lewis had plenty to do with Rosberg's retirement , hamilton couldn't handle a challenger in his team .

[@Sirmellowman]

I totally respect his decision and would probably have done the same thing myself if i was in his shoes.

[@jlc012]

He was always the smartest kid on the grid. Respect.

[@JustLooseMe]

3:46 that shows the greatness of Toto Wolf as a Human being. It amazes me how he reacted in this extreme situation. I mean Nico was involved in the hole development of the next car. It was suited for HIM. Than the big contract he had etc. etc. All of this had to be on Totos mind and he just understands the human standpoint and accept it. Great man, great leader. Much respect!

[@audioamateur]

Toto is a elite leader/manager and a very intelligent man with stupendous work ethic. He's one of a kind

[@mrdude9671]

“Michael this is so not right” “Michael I sent u am email”

[@priyanshvyas6192]

I respect Nico Rsberg everytime when I realise that he did beat Lewis.

[@alvaronunesdesousa878]

Great interview!

[@drews5569]

Great to see an athlete go out on top! They generally stay around too long for the easy paycheck. In a lot of sports, that's okay. In motorsport, not the best idea since you're putting your life at risk every time you go out on track. Nico knew the probability of winning an F1 championship again would be extremely slim. He had the money. He had the championship. He'd been racing for 21 years already. What would be the point of continuing? Very good decision.

[@josephbishara4791]

I would have retired after I made my first $10m. Nico retired after amassing well over $100m. Well done.

[@jakesweet1000]

you realize he isn't retired from working, he only retired from racing

[@Max-vq9xd]

@@jakesweet1000 hes also not worth 100 million he's worth more like 30 mill

[@m4rcin847]

@@Max-vq9xd Still better that Hamilton

[@blacksheep6409]

That's exactly why you will never make 10m dollars

[@trainingsamit]

@@blacksheep6409 we dont rape and molest people here...get out

[@ironKurgan]

Nico is a class act, He understands the competitive spirit while still maintaining honor, There are only a few like him left in F1, And Hamilton/Vettel arent in that group.

[@TheTororist]

he understands competitive spirit but cant bother to defend his title??

[@PeRRXX]

Toro Loco that has nothing to do with it

[@stephenandrew8387]

Awesome bloke, so grounded and honest.

[@MsLinda165]

I love his outlook on life. I'm inspired.

[@armandoluis4435]

Honestly, that single rosberg v hamilton season, beats all hamilton v vettel season.

[@TheTororist]

lets just wait for this season to end. so far its been better than the 2014 or 2016 battle between nico and lewis. the lead keeps swinging one race after another. and the fact that its different teams makes it even more exciting. shaping up to be a real classic no matter who wins it, as long as it goes down to the wire

[@alchemist6819]

@@TheTororist your comment didn't age well

[@TheTororist]

@@alchemist6819 yeah, seb kinda dropped the ball after summer. Still a great season

[@kyongslist]

my god, why cant people just be passionate about the sport and cars in general, and appreciate things for what they are? instead I have to scroll down and see the words hamilton and lewis and other petty remarks constantly spewed in an otherwise totally irrelevant point.

[@mattcecil6692]

Agreed, some people bash on Nico for retiring, he retired a champion. He got paid enough to go for decades if he is smart, which they all seem to be. Lewis will carry on, and while I don't like him, he will have large success, as will Vettel. From the up and coming drivers Dan and Max will join that too with Valterri, hopefully though they don't get bashed in their success

[@urospeteh2637]

I started to like that guy more and more and even think of becoming a F1 fan, despite i can't even drive a car at 37 y.o. But such characters attract me. ( i used to be a F1 fan when i was a kid when Senna and Mansell were my heroes).

[@richardkeeler6422]

Very well said i would do the same he reached his dream now he can concentrate on his family

[@joevald3]

He makes perfect sense to me . Family is much more important

[@Jean-Pierre-Villard]

"Racing for 21 years only won 1 championship" The highest Championship, something that many many driver never won and just dream about, not to mention all the millions of jealous never ever winning something youtube-heroes ;) Well done Nico, great driver, great Human being, now a great Father and Husband... to perfect for youtube-haters ;)

[@stefanocatacci7290]

Right bro. And he won the gp2 title...

[@jericlamb2676]

I started to watching f1 2018 i didnt see nico there only replay classic, nico hulkenberg sounds similar

[@wahpotato6928]

Nico, you did well in retiring so early and at the pinnacle of your racing career. F1 is a dangerous sport more than people realize. The fuel and energy those machines can produce will match a bomb and they are weapons especially at those velocities. Who wants to have a job where you risk your life every time? Very sensible and I applaud you.

[@Setho666]

Interviewer looks like a shady cars seller

[@Steve_643]

From what I see Nico had to become someone he doesn’t really want to be to beat Hamilton it took a toll on him having to do some of the under handed things you have to do to beat a ultra competitor like Hamilton someone he considered a friend!!! If you have a way out of doing something you no longer want to do take it, I think Nico the person is a nice guy, and he had to turn into a A hole not to finish last in the racing world!!!!

[@martinblomqvist1870]

The way he says "knackered" is hilarious 3:10

[@rc-dreams]

I like Graham for asking the diffikult Questions, that nobody likes, but they answer him!

[@mikelumbreras4903]

Nico never had the mental that guy's like Lewis or Sebastian have. Never the less He was a great pilot.

[@labmert6604]

Graham Bensinger was not the best person to interview Nico. He could not relate to Nico at all !!

[@andresilvasophisma]

Would love to see him do one or two more seasons at the highest level. He gave everything to beat Hamilton and I think both came out better from it. At the end of the day it's his decision and you have to respec that.

[@terryallen9546]

Class act, both of you.

[@durgeshpatel8753]

He has respect for retiring on his own terms. I would have wished that he beat Hamilton one more time to silence his critics.

[@JakeJacob99]

0:40 everyone's face when he decided to retire

[@timpeachey9394]

By retiring after winning the championship, Rosberg became one of the F1 greats.

[@itsmealyssaaa]

Great interview :)

[@GrahamBensinger]

Thanks, Alyssa! Glad you enjoyed it. -AD

[@itsmealyssaaa]

@@GrahamBensinger hoping to see an interview with sebastian vettel on this channel in the future

[@chrishowarth9321]

Used to think he was an average driver and never really liked him. In hindsight what he did was incredible, every season he was close to Lewis and that alone shows his talent. Now we have Bottas who is the most boring human being on the face of the earth with no competiveness against Lewis, I really miss Nico :(

[@RyanLuca581]

well he did win the Australian Grand prix hahaha

[@jstoli996c4s]

Bottas 2.0 is doing much better. Porridge mode activated 🥣

[@csonkaperdido]

Bottas is obviously the #2 driver and the team leaves him hanging out to dry with worn tires to protect Lewis ALMOST EVERY RACE. Valteri is every bit as good as Nico and if AMG gave him the "co-#1" treatment that Nico got, he would be on the top step of the podium much more often. Mercedes strategy is so obvious - Lewis is to win the race and Bottas is to hold up the Ferrari and red bulls so they get stuck behind him and Lewis can cruise to victory. Lewis is a better driver so I don't disagree with the strategy - but Bottas would challenge Lewis if given the chance by his team.

[@bh2861]

This didn't age well...

[@Jack-up2cf]

Good call... to win with the team principle focused on backing the other driver is the hardest win of all. Nice safe answer on why the decision to retire but really the next year would have been far more painful for him to go through. The sport is nowhere near competitive so for the last handful of years there where only two drivers that could win and Nico was never the chosen one. Its won thing to take a run at the championship when you are on another team but from within the same team is 100 times more difficult. 2016 the door opened slightly early in the year and Nico did a good job to capitalize but there is no way Toto would let it happen like that again. Not much left to stay for. Oh and for all those that label Lewis the GOAT.... Nico is a track god, he beat the supposed GOAT with the team's weight behind Lewis. It was the hardest to win title in recent F1 history.

[@peterwolfman2847]

Nico made the correct got what he wanted now spending more time at home and continue close to F1 .Bravo.

[@bongani6074]

Nico Rosberg has always been relevant in his entire time in F1. He won some races in the Red Bull Era with Mercedes and he won when the PU change happened. He is a worthy champion

[@fatdoi003]

very smart man.... go out on the top than stay till irrelevant

[@xx11xx11xx]

"Why I retired" "Lewis Hamilton" *rolls credits*

[@SkyrimInMyPants]

Ehhh.... if he never won or was always close then maybe

[@GARBO96]

@@SkyrimInMyPants every single year he was Lewis Hamilton's teammate Lewis Hamilton beat him except for that one year... So yeah he knew he wasn't going to win again

[@Nickskis22]

@@GARBO96 also the team clearly favors Hamilton and on top of that nico probably wanted to leave on a high note

[@GARBO96]

@@Nickskis22 every year prior to them being an F1 Hamilton always beat him while they were teammates Nico's dad basically funded the entire operation wouldn't they have favored Nico but yet Hamilton beat him every single year until the one year Nico won in formula 1

[@GARBO96]

@@Nickskis22 his seat was paid for by Mercedes in the younger years but damn near everything else that the team needed Nico's father brought to the table

[@crsantin]

I understand his decision. Being the best at anything is totally consuming. Nothing else can enter your field of vision. Hamilton is single, with no family. Family changes everything. He accomplished what he set out to do and he reached a point where he'd had enough. It was the right decision for him. I'm sure he misses it on some level but it seems he made the right decision. Good for him.

[@cierankinsella3451]

As brits i think we all give nico a hard time but he probably deserves a mention as one of the main ppl involved in lewis evolving into this monster driver he is today, valteri has mainly served to prove just how good nico truly was, he was clearly the second best driver in the world and no one could have pushed lewis for 3yrs as consistently as nico did, excited about the rumours of max taking valteris seat by 2022 as he's one of the few drivers I look at and think he has the spark and the special thing needed to push an all time great like lewis, for as good as valteri is I dont think he has that "thing" you need too become a world champion and its allowed lewis to win a fairly routine 2 championships and the only competition was when seb and ferrari tried all they had it mentally broke seb to the point where it still wasn't all that close, if nico ever decided to come back i would really enjoy to see what he could offer lewis with enough time to refresh and recharge, I would honestly as a huge lewis fan say that could be a 50/50 season.

[@maxmaker76]

now he want to be with his family and enjoying live. whats wrong? its his decision and only his alone!!! we have to accept it. he had my respect.

[@PeRRXX]

M A he doesn’t go to every race. Even if he did, it’s not like he has to commit fully to a race. He can go for the 3-4 days, leave and hang out with his family.

[@doraemxn1037]

If all drivers are like nico.. that will be very good for the whole racing sport. U win. Move on, others get to race and get the title and so on. No neef to hv 2,3,7 world title..

[@m.k.9964]

Then there would be many world champions and inevitably the rarity or prestige of being a world champion wouldn't be as much as before.

[@PeRRXX]

If you still love what you’re doing, why wouldn’t you compete for more? The more chips you have, the more likely you are to go down in history

[@JohnSmith-lv8mh]

Much respect to Nico! Very good guy in the F1

[@derekb370z]

So much respect for the champ

[@JayJay-vz1hm]

Nico was so used to getting beaten by Lewis throughout his career from karting to f1, the one time he manages to beat Lewis to a championship he retired to get the last laugh because he knew deep down Lewis wouldn't let that happen again. Smart move

[@radityaindera3442]

Jermaine Stanislas Nope. The answer because he already achieved every single thing that he wanted to achieve in the sport and also the top comments in this video.

[@southchum101]

Raditya Indera as the saying goes, a good champion earns his title, but a truly great champion defends it.

[@monny1815]

I mean, he says that because saying “I can’t beat Hamilton again” makes him seem like a pussy, but that obviously is part of the reason, he spent so much time trying to win that when he actually won, he didn’t want to be remembered as the guy who got constantly beat by Hamilton except that one time, he wanted to be “The one” who beat Hamilton. The only way to do it was to retire unfortunately, it’s definitely a respectable choice.

[@Diesel32]

And now he is expert from 2018 for germany TV. BULLSHIT!!!! If it was for his family he wouldnt be expert for RTL! Its the same, you are not at home by your family!!! He just didnt wanted to be beaten by Hamilton again!

[@Rey-hb2hg]

True. But we got to admit it He Great Too. Just That Hamilton is The Best.

[@mmafan2223]

The stress and pressure from Lewis is something the rest of us will never understand.

[@linanicolia1363]

Lewis is fearless and a master of his craft, since he was 4 years old.

[@stephenbarrosse831]

I find it very admirable the way he retired. A true champion and gentleman.

[@leonardoleopardo7912]

strong mentally, better psychological, head, more balanced. Desde 1969 quando assisto F1, não vi um piloto mais forte mentalmente.

[@AlonsoRules]

he realised that he would never be so lucky ever again

[@LoggyWD]

The only driver to beat Schumacher and Hamilton.

[@elliotttalksf1825]

Nicos a good guy, great pundit as well

[@zed804]

I really appreciate Nico's authenticity.

[@undrcuts7625]

Lewis is a great driver but Nico has my heart

[@pallyali786]

He retired as world champion. He made a truck load of money. Fair play to him go and enjoy life.

[@fmspike]

Respect to this guy. More to life than racing

[@jamieorton6809]

So happy for you Nico. You smashed it and left on a high. What more could a man want.

[@theslimeylimey]

I understand Nico wanting to retire but I think he should have told Mercedes his intentions and _ask_ them to release him from the contract he agreed to and should have offered to stay another year if thats what _they_ wanted. I say this because if Nico had not won the championship, I bet you anything he would be in the car now and would have been very upset if Mercedes dropped him instead for Valtteri Bottas. Either you want a contract or you don't and if he didn't, he should not have signed for that long. I just think it shows a lack of loyalty and is saying to the hundreds of people working with him to get that championship "I got what _I_ want so bye bye" He criticizes Lewis for not putting the team first and then drops them in it himself while under contract.

[@dalysiastokes3140]

theslimeylimey people change so do their priorities in life

[@mattcecil6692]

You never do that, that's arrogant. He did the right thing in waiting, Wolff understood that, Lauda was just being a shocked owner as Nico said

[@michaelcollins966]

The opportunity for him to retire was based on winning the championship. He didn’t want to do ANYTHING to risk that, including telling his wife. When you’re in a close championship with Hamilton, you can’t let anything slip if you want to come out on top.

[@jamiebob6660]

"im 31 and have been racing for 21 years" some have it tough

[@CalebJNelson]

Jamie Bob The more difficult a task, the more time and energy is required to excel.

[@AS-pp1rd]

You got out at the very top, that's the best way to leave Nico, great job ! The last one to do that was a guy called Alain Prost after his 4th title, and before that Jackie Stewart, so you are in excellent company !

[@bombousboy]

He achieved his ambition. Well done 👏