Nico Rosberg

The 2016 World Champion who retired five days after winning — one of sport's most surprising and admired decisions.

Nico Erik Rosberg was born in Wiesbaden, Germany in 1985, son of 1982 F1 World Champion Keke Rosberg, and won the 2016 Formula 1 World Championship with Mercedes before retiring just 5 days later — one of the most sudden championship retirements in the sport's history. 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)