Allow Exco Player content
This content is provided by Exco Player and may use cookies or similar technologies. Please click 'Allow and Continue' below to load the content.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has hailed Nico Rosberg’s ‘brave decision’ after the 31-year-old announced his retirement from F1.
Rosberg became world champion for the first time in his career last weekend despite finishing behind teammate Lewis Hamilton in Abu Dhabi.
In a statement released via his official Facebook page this afternoon, Rosberg said that he knew on Sunday morning that it could he last race.
"On Sunday morning in Abu Dhabi, I knew that it could be my last race and that feeling cleared my head before the start.
Read More
"I wanted to enjoy every part of the experience, knowing it might be the last time and then the lights went out and I had the most intense 55 laps of my life. I took my decision on Monday evening."
Reacting to the news, Wolff was quick to praise Rosberg’s ‘special’ character.
"This is a brave decision by Nico and testament to the strength of his character,” said Wolff. “He has chosen to leave at the pinnacle of his career, as World Champion, having achieved his childhood dream. The clarity of his judgement meant I accepted his decision straight away when he told me.
"It's impossible to capture the essence of a person in a few short words. But Nico has a special combination of natural talent and fighting spirit that have brought him to where he is today.
"Throughout his career, people have thought he was on a golden path to success just because his father was a World Champion; in fact, I think in some ways that made the challenge greater - and meant he had to fight even harder with the weight of expectation on his shoulders.
"With Mercedes, Nico has been a relentless competitor, bouncing back from tough times in an inspirational way, and he earned the respect of the sport with his tenacity, his fighting spirit and his grace under pressure.
"Since 2010, he has poured competitive energy into our team and we have grown stronger because of it. We simply say 'thank you' for the incredible contribution he has made to our success, alongside two of the all-time great drivers, Michael and Lewis."