Nico Rosberg said it was “mission accomplished” as the German star received his Formula One world championship trophy on Friday, just hours after he stunned sport by announcing his retirement.
The 31-year-old paid tribute to longtime friend and Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton, the outgoing world champion, as well as his father, Keke Rosberg, who won the F1 title in 1982.
“It’s mission accomplished as far as I am concerned,” the German told the FIA prizegiving ceremony at a star-studded event in Vienna.
Photo: EPA
“I’m so proud to be here. It’s been a pretty intense period, but it was my childhood dream, he said. “When I saw this trophy for the first time today, I immediately went and found where my dad’s name was on it. It’s very special and emotional to share with him what he did 34 years ago.”
Nico Rosberg said that had he come up short in the championship this year, he would have carried on next year.
“When I was six, I wanted to be world champion and I have done it. Now on to other things — family first, see what the future holds and just follow my heart.”
Nico Rosberg edged Hamilton to the title, but he paid generous tribute to the Briton.
“Lewis was awesome, so to take the title away from him is very special,” said Nico Rosberg, who admitted that winning the title was the second most intense thing he has done.
“Well, watching my wife give birth, that was pretty intense,” he said.
Dutch driver Max Verstappen won the award for FIA Personality of the Year and FIA Action of the Year.
The colorful Red Bull driver became the youngest winner of a Grand Prix when he triumphed at the Circuit de Catalunya in Spain at the age of 18 years and 228 days.
It was one of only two races not won by a Mercedes driver this year — the other went to Verstappen’s teammate Daniel Ricciardo in Malaysia.
Nico Rosberg wrote on Facebook of the difficulties he faced over a season that took a toll on people close to him.
“It was a whole family effort of sacrifice, putting everything behind our target,” he said.
He had a strained relationship with Hamilton. They came up through the karting circuits to became fierce rivals in F1, constantly needling each other in the media. They dueled for the F1 championship for the past three years. Rosberg was runner-up to Hamilton in 2014 and last year, but hung on this year to relieve Hamilton of the title in the final race.
Keke Rosberg said after watching his son in Abu Dhabi that the strain of fighting Hamilton was sapping his son.
“I don’t know how much it’s taken out of him,” Keke Rosberg said on Sunday last week. “Maybe he retires tomorrow.”
All observers thought that was a quip.
Mercedes said on its Web site that Nico Rosberg “will stop racing in Formula One with immediate effect.”
Hamilton said he was not surprised by his teammate’s decision.
“I’m probably one of the only people that it was not a surprise to,” Hamilton said.
He later added: “Will I miss the rivalry? Of course.”
The three-time champion said he would help Mercedes look for a replacement.
“I’m interested to see who would want to be my teammate and respect anyone that would want to,” Hamilton said.
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