Nico Rosberg stunned the Formula One world on Friday with the shock announcement that he was retiring – only days after winning his first world championship with Mercedes.
"From the moment when the destiny of the title was in my own hands, the big pressure started and I began to think about ending my racing career if I became world champion," the German said in a statement on Facebook.
"On Sunday morning in Abu Dhabi, I knew that it could be my last race and that feeling cleared my head before the start. I wanted to enjoy every part of the experience, knowing it might be the last time," the 31-year-old added.
After losing out to Lewis Hamilton in the previous two years, Rosberg made it third time lucky on 27 November when he clinched his maiden title with a second-place finish behind the triple world champion at the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
With this Formula One championship, Nico Rosberg became only the second son of a champion to take the title since 1950.
Rosberg made his Formula One race debut with Williams in Bahrain in 2006 – scoring points by coming in seventh place and setting the fastest lap – after becoming the first GP2 champion the previous season.
He joined Mercedes – who had bought champions Brawn GP – for the 2010 season and partnered seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher.
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