Nico Rosberg retires from F1

[LDN]

heebeegeetee said:

r11co said:

or particulalry skilled with language.

Hmm.

Ignore him; he's sick with envy. Luckily; it's not catching.

[wc98]

VG67 said:

I remember an interview Nico gave in his early F1 days. He was asked about having a F1 world champion dad and he commented something along the lines of...it definitely help him chose a career, but if his dad was a dentist he probably would have become a dentist.
(sorry I don't have a source)

Knowing that, the decision to retire when you have achieved your goals makes sense.

this is spot on for me . always got the feeling a large part of him being a driver was as much to please his father as himself. he is retiring happy and fulfilled at a young age having won a f1 wdc. not a lot to criticise about that imo.

[heebeegeetee]

ELUSIVEJIM said:

Since Rosberg and Lewis became teammates at Mercedes in 2013 until 2016 their retirements over the 3 seasons are

Rosberg 6

Lewis 7

Pretty close and fair.

I was going to add McLaren with Alonso and Button but lost count

How does it work out if you include failures outside of the race but which led to race/grid penalties?

However if you fancy working with some figures how about calculating how many points Lewis lost with his poor starts, 'cos I suspect that's truly what cost him the championship (but I can't be bothered to work it out for myself )

[big_rob_sydney]

Derek Smith said:

big_rob_sydney said:

Some interesting comments I see.

I'm a Schumacher fan for one thing, so let me start by saying, I think Nico is pretty handy. Schu may have been beyond his prime, but I think it may have only been a fraction. Nico still wiped the floor with him.

And along came Lewis.

Lewis has really impressed me with his raw speed. I think he's faster than Nico, and basically just had bad luck this season. If not for that, I think Lewis would have won the WDC again.

I don't actually rate JB at all though. To me, he was just in the right place at the right time with the double diffuser, and was lucky to hang on while other teams caught up. Since he cashed in his golden ticket, he's been riding the coat tails of that, saying the right things, and being the corporate drone he was expected to be, along with help from various commentators who did their best to keep him in the circus for so long. A capable driver, sure. But then he's supposed to be; all of them in F1 are supposed to be. JB - the luckiest guy around to be getting paid huge money off the back of one season.

Vettel, I feel the same about. Right place at the right time, but when Danny R came along, we all saw through Seb. Another capable driver, sure, but not in the class of others.

I actually think the best drivers around these days are probably Lewis, Danny R, Max V, and Alonso, although I have my doubts about Alonso, as I think he has harmed a few teams as he was passing through.

I don't begrudge Lewis leaving McLaren, so I don't see that as harming the team. It's just a part of growing up, and people move on. But Alonso seems to leave a broken wake.

No, for me, if I had a dream team, it would be Lewis and Danny R.

An interesting post.

Our dream teams are not, I think, those valued by Wolff. He'll be looking for something a bit different. I've got the feeling he'll go for a number two. I doubt he will go as far down as, say Irvine, but he'll want a journeyman driver who takes orders but will get seconds (in more ways than one) with some degree of regularity. Merc will feel a bit nervous with the changes to the regs coming in next season.

I hope not; the seat is a potential WDC, but then the two in RB might also be. Ferrari could be in there, challenging on occasion. I reckon 2017 will be different to the last season.

Well, think about this. There was a point in time where Merc had Nico and Shumacher, and Schumacher retired after having been badly beaten by Nico.

They looked at the market, and, having one guy who, by all accounts at that point in time must have been considered bloody quick, they decided to get someone else who was also quick.

They clearly have form in trying to get a pair of fast drivers, and by all accounts, they're not exactly shy to pay them, either.

I dont see how they could go for a real number two, when they have 1500 employees pushing like mad to win. Do you really think they'd shoot themselves in the foot by putting second best on the grid after the effort to produce a car like they just did? You never know, but it would surprise the hell out of me. I would guess they'll buy someone out of a contract. Alonso had a year to go at Ferrari, and he got out of that. So we know its possible. Its just a question now of who does Toto want (excluding maybe the Red Bull guys, who must surely be thinking with the new rules and a certain engineer in their team, that they must be having a better than even chance next year).

[Jonstar]

ex1 said:

Good luck to him. I always thought the BS that goes with F1 didn't sit too well with him. He never looked comfortable with the PR or bravado.

1 WDC is enough. People like Hamilton simply have no perspective on life and think thats all there is. Its just driving around in circles after all.

Good lord, that really is a stuipid comment. I dont think sports are for you mate.

[wibble cb]

ClockworkCupcake said:

Let's not forget that James Hunt also retired after his first and only WDC

Some people just have clear goals that they want to achieve, and when they have achieved them they are done and move on.

eh? He carried on till 1979?

[Silent1]

I'm sure other people have quoted this but I find it quite amusing

Lewis said:

"This is the first time he's won in 18 years, hence why it was not a surprise that he decided to stop,"

[RDMcG]

I was not a fan, but anyone who wins the WDC has talent. I suspect he may also have considered that Red Bull may well be a very serious contender next year and the days of utter Mercedes dominance may be over. He achieved his objective and owes the sport nothing. Good luck to him.

[danllama]

Silent1 said:

I'm sure other people have quoted this but I find it quite amusing

Lewis said:

"This is the first time he's won in 18 years, hence why it was not a surprise that he decided to stop,"

It was quoted a few times, and Hami's character was completely assassinated by many!

[ex1]

Jonstar said:

ex1 said:

Good luck to him. I always thought the BS that goes with F1 didn't sit too well with him. He never looked comfortable with the PR or bravado.

1 WDC is enough. People like Hamilton simply have no perspective on life and think thats all there is. Its just driving around in circles after all.

Good lord, that really is a stuipid comment. I dont think sports are for you mate.

Haha.

There was a time when I spent a significant % of my income driving round in circles. Often people who get that obsessed have little else in their life and miss out on much more than they gain.

[AW111]

Now that Nico has retired, I assume the one-eyed Hamilton fanboys * will start their hate campaign against his new teammate .

There is so much pettyness displayed on this thread (Britney, quitter, softy, etc.) by people who will never in their lives achieve anything like as much as Nico has already; it's disappointing but not surprising.

• I an not accusing all Hamilton fans of this.

[bunglesprout]

I wonder how much this will cost Rosberg in unpicking himself from his contract and sponsor commitments. As well as his publicity commitments with Mercedes as World Champion?

I'm guessing there must be some sort of parachute clause in a driver's contract if they at any time decide "fk this I'm out". I'd imagine the lawyers will be working hard over the coming weeks.

[bunglesprout]

I wonder how much this will cost Rosberg in unpicking himself from his contract and sponsor commitments. As well as his publicity commitments with Mercedes as World Champion?

I'm guessing there must be some sort of parachute clause in a driver's contract if they at any time decide "fk this I'm out". I'd imagine the lawyers will be working hard over the coming weeks.

[r11co]

LDN said:

heebeegeetee said:

r11co said:

or particulalry skilled with language.

Hmm.

Ignore him; he's sick with envy. Luckily; it's not catching.

Envy? When the fanbois have no response they attack the messenger. When I hear Hamilton interviewed by five different TV pundits from five different countries and respond to each of them fluently in their own language then I'll retract the statement.

But he's such a great driver though (fawn fawn).

Funny thing is I could compare Jenson Button to Hamilton and legitimately make many of the same observations about the contrast in their characters.

Edited by r11co on Saturday 3rd December 07:28

[Nigel_O]

bunglesprout said:

I wonder how much this will cost Rosberg in unpicking himself from his contract and sponsor commitments. As well as his publicity commitments with Mercedes as World Champion?

I'm guessing there must be some sort of parachute clause in a driver's contract if they at any time decide "fk this I'm out". I'd imagine the lawyers will be working hard over the coming weeks.

37 pages in and this has only just been mentioned....

Didn't Nico hit the headlines earlier this year when he signed a new two(?) year contract?

Seems it must have been nicely worded to allow him to walk without huge penalties.

Or - for the conspiracy theorists, maybe Merc put a clause in to say "we'll let you win the WDC as long as you vacate your seat straight away....." Bernie seemed to know something in the Room of Awkwardness at Abu Dhabi

Personally, I don't believe this for a moment - I just believe he's retiring because he believes it's the right thing to do for him and his family and he's not too bothered about what others think

Note that in the press conference, he said something like "I'm retiring from Formula 1" whereas elsewhere, he's quoted as saying "I'm retiring from racing"

I wonder if we"ll see him in another formula - WEC would probably suit his technical thinking driving style...

[Hungrymc]

Nigel_O said:

I wonder if we"ll see him in another formula - WEC would probably suit his technical thinking driving style...

I think dogems would be a better fit.

Sorry, a cheap / poor joke.

I suspect with a young family being part of his motivation, he will hang up his overalls for a few years. It's a shame that he is doing so, but once again, it's his choice and good luck to him.

[tommunster10]

Surely Merc will have to get a youngster in now, have all the 'top' guys got contracts with new teams?

Whoever gets in that seat if Merc enjoy the same level of dominance are guaranteed at least 2nd place in WDC and a few race wins i'd imagine.

[LaurasOtherHalf]

Hungrymc said:

Nigel_O said:

I wonder if we"ll see him in another formula - WEC would probably suit his technical thinking driving style...

I suspect with a young family being part of his motivation, he will hang up his overalls for a few years. It's a shame that he is doing so, but once again, it's his choice and good luck to him.

I suspect it'll be a complete divorce from racing, he just seems to be of the mindset that there's so much more out there which for someone as supposedly well educated as himself there is.

[Hungrymc]

r11co said:

Envy? When the fanbois have no response they attack the messenger. When I hear Hamilton interviewed by five different TV pundits from five different countries and respond to each of them fluently in their own language then I'll retract the statement.

But he's such a great driver though (fawn fawn).

Funny thing is I could compare Jenson Button to Hamilton and legitimately make many of the same observations about the contrast in their characters.

Edited by r11co on Saturday 3rd December 07:28

I suspect he is rubbish at many things. You could even say that (following the 'oh how hard Nico has had to work' theme). It must be a massive disadvantage to be such a dunce and have such dubious judgment and character, to be so poor with people that he probably can't subtlety manipulate them in the way all these other drivers of superior intellect and class can...... So it's an even bigger achievement to become 3 times WDC ?

What do you say about the character of a man who deliberately crashes into his team mate on more than one occasion? I say it's a ruthless and desperate act of cheating. And I am not at all surprised as this is the pinnacle of a very high value competitive sport - these guys have to trample over everyone and anyone to achieve their goals. Some might be better than Lewis when it comes to managing the media and the PR, particularly from the perspective of the conservative mindset that Motorsport tends to appeal to....... But stand between any of these drivers and their goal, and Im sure you will meet a viscious, driven and ruthless response. They are not wired the same as the rest of us, they can't achieve what they do with our traditional pleasant, polite, giving, selfless expectations of people's values.

Nico, lovely bloke, humble and intelligent - crashes into his team mate deliberately to try and gain advantage.
Jenson, lovely bloke, humble and intelligent - played top class politics at McLaren to retain his own position with Whitmarsh to the detriment of the team and everyone around it - a trait you would find in a ruthless career ladder climber.

I don't care, both have contributed to the sport, both will be missed by me, neither any 'better or worse a person' than Lewis.

I do understand why people think Lewis is a dick. He has his quirks, as does everyone. What amazes me is that some people preceieve him to be worse than the rest. Then we get the whole - Nico was made the pantomime villain....Which is exactly what those who dislike Hamilton have made him! That's just another example of how filled with irony and double standards the whole thread is.

[Hungrymc]

LaurasOtherHalf said:

I suspect it'll be a complete divorce from racing, he just seems to be of the mindset that there's so much more out there which for someone as supposedly well educated as himself there is.

I think you are right, and fair enough / good luck to him.

Everyone has different wants from life and he's free to chose his path.