Nico Rosberg

German-Finnish Formula 1 driver who won the 2016 World Championship with Mercedes before retiring five days later, ending Lewis Hamilton's dominance.

Nico Rosberg won the 2016 Formula One World Championship with Mercedes and then retired from the sport just five days later — a decision unprecedented in the sport's history — having accumulated 23 Grand Prix wins across a career defined by a fierce multi-year rivalry with teammate Lewis Hamilton. He drove for Williams (2006–2009) and Mercedes (2010–2016). He won 23 Grand Prix from 206 starts, set 30 pole positions and scored 57 podiums with 1,594.5 career points. His championship rivalry with Lewis Hamilton — his Mercedes teammate from 2013 to 2016 — was the defining intra-team battle of the hybrid era, ending with Rosberg winning the title in Abu Dhabi 2016 after a dramatic final race in which Hamilton attempted to back the field up to deny Rosberg the points he needed. Their relationship — childhood friends who had karted together — became deeply adversarial during the championship years, producing collisions, strategic tensions and frank public exchanges. His retirement announcement shocked the paddock and remains unprecedented — no other champion has retired immediately after winning his first title. He is the second father-son pair to win the F1 championship alongside Damon and Graham Hill.

Calculated, strategic racer with strong qualifying pace

Only driver to retire as reigning champion in modern F1 era

• F1 World Champion 2016 (Mercedes)
• 23 race wins, 30 pole positions
• 57 podiums
• Retired 5 days after winning championship (unique)
• Father Keke Rosberg also F1 World Champion (1982)