IndyCar gears up for 2018 with Sebring tests

Teams from the Verizon IndyCar series have been gearing up for the coming season with tests at the Sebring circuit in Florida, as the grid gets to grips with the new universal aerokit that the series has introduced for 2018. Testing for the teams has been going on for the past month or so with Penske being one of the key players after initially taking part in the manufacturer tests on behalf of Chevrolet. Now Andretti, Ganassi and Dale Coyne Racing have got their first chunk of testing under their belts.  A.J. Foyt Racing, SPM and Ed Carpenter Racing have also got their first miles with the new car.

The tests have been a chance for fans to see some of the teams liveries on the new look machines for the very first time, and they do look absolutely stunning, particularly the #28 DHL car of Ryan Hunter-Reay and the #27 NAPA car of Alexander Rossi. The shimmering blue on the Ganassi of Ed Jones also stood out. On track, the cars were a joy to watch as the drivers wrestled with their new steeds. This new aerokit has really made them 'driver cars' again and there has been high praise up and down the grid on the new cars and how the management at IndyCar has got this spot on. Mario Andretti has commented on the car, saying  "This thing is beautiful as it is. It's just going back to what the pure open-wheel, single-seater should be." 

Ed Jones, #10 Ganassi

2017 champion Josef Newgarden also said “The new car is bolder, it's more daring and really, we believe it has improved aerodynamics that are going to help the racing product tremendously, so I'm looking forward to that probably the most. We believe it's going to be faster, we believe it's going to be safer, it's going to provide better racing like we've talked about."

Tony Kanaan, #14 A.J. Foyt Racing

 The promise of better racing has excited fans and teams alike, after 2017 saw one of the most competitive years, if not the most competitive year, that the series has ever seen. It has been enough to entice Carlin and Harding Racing to run full time from this year, with Juncos and Michael Shank Racing running part time programs with the scope for full time operations from 2019 onwards. More testing takes place this week again at Sebring, which will see Takuma Sato make his highly anticipated test debut for the RLL team alongside Graham Rahal, with further testing throughout the next month before the first race of the year in St.Petersburg, Flordia.

F1 2017 - A titanic season of what could have been

The 2017 Formula 1 season saw wider, faster and bigger cars take to the stage as the sport saw its first multiple team title fight since 2013, as Ferrari threatened to end the Mercedes dominance of the last three years. It saw two of the greatest drivers of their generation, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, battling out for their fourth and fifth titles respectively. Mercedes v Ferrari, Hamilton v Vettel in the fastest Grand Prix cars we have ever seen. It had everything...on paper. What transpired was a season which promised so much, but failed to deliver on its potential.

The pre-season testing form showed by Ferrari proved to be very much real as opposed to 2016 where it flattered to deceive, and Vettel duly won the first race of the year as Mercedes baulked under the pressure of having another team vying for the top spot. The W08 was incredible in qualifying, as every Mercedes has been, but the SF70H early on looked to be the more poised and consistent race car. A shorter wheelbase and an incredibly efficient chassis meant it was far more predictable than the Mercedes and had a wider operating window than the silver arrows. Coupled with Mercedes having to embed new boy Valtteri Bottas in the team, and Ferrari looked to hold a tiny advantage in the first few races.

Vettel lost out to Hamilton in China but struck back in Bahrain, and then lead the first Ferrari 1-2 in qualifying Russia and heading a 2-3 finish for the team, as Bottas jumped into title contention with an emphatic first career win, holding off Vettel in the dying stages of the race. As these two powerhouse teams fought for supremacy, Red Bull could only dream of doing similar. Expected to be the closest challenger to Mercedes pre-season, poor correlation with the car and factory and a still under powered Renault power unit saw them hoping for a fourth place finish at best, although a brilliant podium by Max Verstappen in China was an early highlight. Meanwhile, Hamilton and Vettel continued to fight it out at the front.

A wheel-to-wheel win in Spain for Hamilton lead to a nightmare weekend in Monaco, qualifying 13th after being caught out by yellow flags in Q2 ended with a seventh place finish in the race as he saw his rival lead a Ferrari 1-2 and open up a very healthy championship lead. But Hamilton fought back again in Montreal as Vettel finished fourth, a result of first corner contact with Verstappen, before the chaos of Baku saw Daniel Ricciardo take an unbelievable win and Williams Lance Stroll took an equally amazing podium finish.

 Bottas took another win from Vettel in Austria as Hamilton finished fourth, the Briton striking back emphatically at Silverstone as both Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen suffered left front punctures. Vettel finished seventh, and the championship lead was down to one point. But he came back strong in Hungary, leading home Raikkonen and Bottas as Hamilton finished fourth. The battle was its hottest point, and it looked set to go all the way to Abu Dhabi.

As the season had gone on, many were asking whether the new rules had actually helped the racing. There was no doubting the speed of the new cars, nor was there any doubt as to the spectacle they put on trackside. But what mattered was the racing, and the number of overtakes had indeed taken hit. This was thanks to the huge increase in aerodynamics on the new 2017 beasts, the dirty air effect being much worse than in 2016. Some races were spectacular, Spain and Baku being the obvious highlights, but many still were not sold on the rule changes and as we look to 2018, they are still not sold. It may sound negative, but they are right to have their concerns...

As Formula 1 returned to action at Spa following the summer break, everyone was eagerly anticipating the continuing duel between Hamilton and Vettel and a flat out race at Spa between the pair of them only added to the hype. Sadly though, things were about to fizzle out for Vettel. Third in Monza was a disappointing result for Ferrari, but Vettel bounced back with a brilliant pole position lap in Singapore as Hamilton languished in fifth place. The Mercedes driver prayed for a miracle...and he got it. In the first ever wet night race, an error of judgement from Vettel caused chaos at turn one as he, Raikkonen, Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso all crashed out of the race. A perhaps certain 25 points for Vettel was gone, as Hamilton opened up a 28 point championship lead in a race he probably shouldn't have won. An issue in qualifying in Malaysia, and another retirement in Japan were the final nails in the championship coffin, as Hamilton went over 60 points clear at the top of the table.

Even a resurgent Max Verstappen winning in Malaysia over Hamilton wasn't enough for Vettel. Verstappen won again in dominant style in Mexico, following contact between Vettel and Hamilton at the start of the race. Vettel may have finished in fourth, but it wasn't enough. Hamilton finished ninth and it was plenty to clinch his fourth world title and end Ferrari and Vettel's dreams. With three rounds to spare, the championship was over. 

Vettel took some redemption in Brazil though, with Hamilton crashing out in Q1 the German beat poleman Bottas at the start to control the race and take his fifth win of the season. Bottas, himself recovering from a poor second half of the year, then took pole and the win in the final race of the year after one of the best drives of his whole career to end 2017 on a high, the year perhaps going out with a bit of a whimper with one of the less entertaining races of the year. 

After such an incredible first half of the year it was a real shame for the championship battle to end so early. It had been such an enthralling and engrossing story line. Two of the best drivers of their generation were going head to head, in the two biggest teams and with controversy and drama every step of the way. But mechanical failures and an accident saw the year fizzle out in the final stages, ending one of the most intense title battles for years. We were all left to wonder what might have been. Vettel could have gone into the final round with a healthy championship lead, and even a distant third in Abu Dhabi could have been enough to secure his fifth title. Alas, it wasn't to be.


Of course there were plenty of fights through the midfield. The almost bitter rivalry between Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez at Force India was equally as exciting as the team once again finished 4th in the championship. Renault made huge progress to finish 6th in the standings and the exciting pairing of Nico Hulkenburg and Carlos Sainz could really deliver for them come the new season. And of course Max Verstappen went from strength to strength as the Red Bull improved, which will give Ricciardo something to think about this season.

But 2017 will be remembered for the titanic battle between two giants of the sport, before it then suddenly all came to a, literally, crashing halt. The season of red vs silver promised so much throughout the majority of it, but in the end we were left to rue what might have been. Here's hoping 2018 delivers on the promise that 2017 showed.

What the heck is going on at Williams?

Recent reports suggested that the fight for the Williams seat alongside Lance Stroll next year was suddenly won by Russian and Renault reserve Sergey Sirotkin. Rumours stated that his pace turned out to be stronger than Kubica's and that, tied in with his larger financial package, had left the Pole out of the running and that the young Russian was a shoe in for the drive...or had it? Because things have taken a rather interesting turn recently and nobody seems to know what the hell is going on.

An announcement was expected by many today, but reports then came out stating the decision has been delayed until January saying "Sirotkin's contract is understood to be close to being finalised with only minor details still to be ironed out.".

What those details are we don't know, but it is certainly clear there is more to this story than meets the eye. Felipe Massa has said in an interview with "Grande Premio" today that he had gathered that Kubica had a contract ready in Brazil and it was signed following the test in Abu Dhabi after the last race of the year. This was then effectively thrown out the window as Williams couldn't resist the $15 million that Sirotkin brought to the table. This certainly smacks of the Sauber and Giedo Van Der Garde dispute in 2015, when Sauber signed three drivers for their two cars for that season and Van Der Garde took the team to court in Australia. He won the fight, and the teams cars were effectively impounded by bailiffs on the opening day of practice whilst the dispute was sorted. It even got as far as Van Der Garde having a seat fitting as it looked like the team would have to jettison either Felipe Nasr or Marcus Ericsson for at least that weekend.  The dispute was eventually settled and the team proceeded with Nasr and Ericsson, but it shows what can happen if a team messes drivers around.

It then gets more interesting with rumors Kubica was at Williams this week for further negotiations, and former sponsor Lotos is reputedly behind him once again following his rallying days and could well bring even more money to Kubica's $8 million package. These reports are further enhanced by RACER reporting that "While the ongoing delay would suggest Kubica's chances have lessened, making Sirotkin the favorite for the seat, RACER understands there are still opposing views within the team on who should get the seat alongside Stroll."

This clearly suggests that there is a larger number of people in the team who feel Kubica should still be their driver. He impressed them massively with his feedback, knowledge and how well he embedded himself within the team during the test and it felt like he had been there for the whole year and not just a few days. It was similar reasons to this that lead to McLaren dropping Sergio Perez in 2013 and replacing him with Kevin Magnussen for 2014.

Maybe none of this is true, and that it will still be Sirotkin in that car. But I aren't so sure. Something odd is going on, and it could be sometime before we find out who is in that car next year. Because what looks to be a clear cut decision, may well turn out to be anything but that...

Kubica at Williams: Surely that's the only solution?

Robert Kubica and Williams have been in the spotlight for a while now, especially following the Pole's recent test in Abu Dhabi as he aims to make a fairy tale F1 comeback in 2018. Since the test has been completed, it has all gone rather quiet and many are speculating if this means the dream comeback will not happen. But surely this is just a case of Williams crunching the data, because you think about it, look at all the other options and way up each ones pros and cons, Kubica really is Williams only choice to partner Lance Stroll for 2018. And here's why...

As Formula 1 heads into its winter slumber, the Williams seat alongside Stroll is the only one that has yet to be filled, and there are 5 drivers who each have varying chances of securing the seat. They are Pascal Wehrlein, Daniil Kvyat, Paul Di Resta, Sergey Sirotkin and of course, Robert Kubica.  Di Resta and Wehrlein are now looking unlikely to take the seat. Mercedes apparently will not give Williams an engine discount for taking on their promising young German and Di Resta, whilst very impressive in his stand-in race back in Hungary, seems to be viewed much more as a 'great backup' which is perhaps harsh as he very much deserves another shot at Formula 1.

So then you have the remaining trio of Kvyat, Sirotkin and Kubica and all three of course are interesting prospects. Kvyat as we know is now no longer a part of the Red Bull driver scheme, Toro Rosso of course fielding Brendon Hartley and Pierre Gasly from next year as they switch to Honda power. The speed Kvyat posses has not been disputed, and despite being demoted to the Toro Rosso team from the main Red Bull team back in 2016, he has still flown flashes of the speed that got him promoted to the Red Bull drive in the first place over the more experienced (and in hindsight, probably better choice) Jean-Eric Vergne.

But that's where it gets tricky for Kvyat. For despite his speed, he has never recovered mentally from the demotion which saw Max Verstappen win on his debut for the Red Bull team in Spain last year. The decision to demote Kvyat was harsh and you can understand why it affected his mindset, but the problem is he never recovered and is now seen by many as damaged goods. When returning to the team and being partnered with Carlos Sainz, the Spaniard scored 48 points prior to Kvyat's removal this year. Kvyat himself scored 4. And despite a strong final race in Austin this year to take 10th, he was told straight after the race by Helmut Mark that "you're done now, you can go home". A change of scenery may help Kvyat, but is it worth the risk for a driver not quite on the level of a Ricciardo or Verstappen? There is also no guarantee his mental state will improve either.

Sergey Sirotkin became a late contender for the seat in the Abu Dhabi test alongside Kubica, and showed impressive speed and a good attitude towards the team. But as far as I can tell...that's it. Yes he proved he was quick and a solid driver, but Williams don't need "solid". They need more than that, hence why they chased Alonso for a part of the year. But my main concern with a Sirotkin and Stroll lineup is just how utterly weak this will look. You have in effect two rookies in your team, yes one has done a full season but it was patchy at times and young Stroll is still obviously learning the ropes. His end to the season was truly awful, making three stops in Abu Dhabi over everyone elses one stop and the team don't understand what was going on. Sirotkin has had some free practice running with Renault, but not a lot when compared to the likes of Antonio Giovanzzi at Haas or what Jolyon Palmer recieved at Lotus in 2015. His junior record is also a bit patchy, and he made two many mistakes in the fight against Stoffel Vandoorne during the 2016 GP2 season. The preparation has not been there, and Williams risk looking like they are merely after those with the biggest bag of cash. Kubica does bring cash yes but not on the level of Sirotkin, and with much more skill and experience. It would be a huge risk to partner Stroll and Sirotkin, and one the team might come to regret if they do so.

Lastly, we come to the man that almost everyone in Formula 1 wants to see in that car next year. Robert Kubica. The man who no one thought would drive a Formula 1 car again, let alone be in contention for a full time race seat again. But here we are, six years on from that near fatal crash in the Ronde di Andora rally, the man considered to be F1's biggest lost talent is poised to make an incredible comeback against all the odds. And for Williams there are plenty of bonuses. He has experience from his first stint in F1. He's won a race and contested for the championship. He can bring a decent budget to the team and staggeringly, his speed does not appear to have suffered in the years away from open-wheel racing. He would provide the skill and the ability that Williams need to bring their car further up the field. His feedback and knowledge was also unbelievably impressive, the team highly impressed with what he fed back to them and he slotted into the team as if he had been there for years. Exactly what you need.

There is just one nagging doubt though. The Abu Dhabi test revealed that, whilst his race pace was there, his short run pace appeared to be lacking a touch. Mark Hughes reported that his 1min 39.4sec on the hypersoft tyre, on low fuel on the second day of the test was a little bit scrappy. Indeed whilst he was the quickest of the three drivers Williams ran in Abu Dhabi (Stroll also took part) it was only a tenth faster than Stroll had done himself.  But there could have been reasons behind that. Firstly, Kubica appeared to have encountered traffic on his first flying lap of the two he did, the hypersoft may have been too soft for the Yas Marina circuit and his lack of mileage in a 2017 car may not have helped either. Let's not forget, he was reportedly quicker than Sirotkin in the 2012 Lotus that he tested for Renault, on both long and short runs. This was a car not too dissimilar to the R31 and R30 he had driven the previous two years. In contrast, he had just had two days in the 2017 car before his performance run in Abu Dhabi. He was reportedly slower than Paul Di Resta on shorter runs as well in the private test that took place in Hungary with the 2014 FW36. Again though, it is a car that he was unfamiliar with and a massive downgrade from the 2017 Renault he had recently driven. The Mercedes engine in Abu Dhabi was also turned right down due to age in the FW40. So a multitude of reasons could explain the lack of pace, and more mileage in a current car in pre-season testing would probably rectify the issues.

Despite these doubts, I honestly feel that Kubica is the best choice for Williams and really their only logical choice. Of course they may get cold feet and back out, which would be a crying shame as any issues could surely be sorted with more mileage and in a far less restrictive environment than a Pirelli tyre test. Not only would the story of his comeback be utterly incredible, and no doubt a marketing wet dream for Williams, but his return could pay off big time and both parties could enjoy the success they crave and fans around the world will witness the return of a once lost star. A lot of journalists have been going on about "the silence being deafening" around the whole situation. But when there is nothing else to write about of any interest, you have to publish something don't you?  Listen out Williams: you have just one solution to your problem, and his name is Robert Kubica.

Valtteri Bottas bounces back in style

Valtteri Bottas had come under fire throughout the second half the 2017 Formula 1 season. The winner in Russia and Austria had been very much in the shade of teammate Lewis Hamilton following the summer break, but looked to have bounced back in Brazil with a superb pole position. He squandered that at the start and allowed Sebastian Vettel to win the race, but after an incredible lap in qualifying in Abu Dhabi saw him take back to back poles, he followed it up with a flawless win in a straight fight with the new world champion. Valtteri Bottas, is back.

Abu Dhabi was very much an all Mercedes affair, but it was also expected to be the Hamilton show. His crash in qualifying back in Brazil saw Mercedes fit a brand new power unit, and many expected this to give Hamilton a significant advantage at a track that rewards power. Hamilton duly dominated all but FP1, then Q3 saw Bottas pull out perhaps the best lap he ever has done to snatch pole from Hamilton and go against the form book of the previous day. Hamilton admitted Bottas had just done a better job, Vettel hailing it as a "mega" lap and with good reason. Bottas' margin of 0.172 over Hamilton, in the same car with a new power unit was extraordinary. Clearly, he was really overcoming his issues.

There were still doubts in the paddock on whether he could beat Hamilton off the line, let alone in the race. Perhaps unfairly, Hamilton was still tipped as the favorite for the win. At the start though Bottas held onto the lead, and built up a small but handy gap of just over two seconds over Hamilton as the pair pulled away slowly from Vettel. Following the pitstops however, Hamilton closed right up to Bottas and was less than half a second behind at one point, piling the pressure on and very much keeping the Finn on his toes. But despite all that, Bottas did not buckle and in the last few laps, he bolted. He was over five seconds clear of Hamilton as he exited the last corner, slowing down to celebrate with his team members hanging over the pitwall and complete the most impressive performance of his career to date.

Of course we do not know whether Bottas can do this consistently over a season. This performance came at the end of the year and to be fair to Bottas, against not only a very fast driver but one that has been embedded at Mercedes for five seasons in a car designed for Hamilton and Rosberg, not Hamilton and Bottas. With a full winter behind him at Mercedes, his deal to join the team coming very late in January of course, there is every chance that the young Finn will improve massively next year. Inter-team fireworks may yet be set off once again within the Silver Arrows. For now though, Bottas is most certainly back, and with a performance worthy of a world champion. 2018 could be big Valtteri Bottas.

Mercedes Won the War – But Ferrari Can Still be Proud

The 2017 Formula 1 titles were wrapped up in Austin and Mexico respectively, with Mercedes clinching the constructors title in the US and Lewis Hamilton the drivers in Mexico City.


Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel’s challenge had fizzled out from Singapore through to Mexico and the German now has to secure second place from Valtteri Bottas. But despite the issues the team and driver have faced and the failure to secure either title, they can still be proud of what they have achieved in 2017.

You have to take a step back and reflect on where Ferrari has come since Vettel joined them in 2015. That year saw a revitalized Scuderia take second in the championship and Vettel secured three wins and a pole position on his way to third in the title race, his first win in Malaysia throwing him right into the championship mix at that point.

It all seemed to set up a potential title challenge in 2016 and after the opening race of that year in Australia, it looked like it could be on. Ferrari took the lead at the start of the race, ran 1-2 for the majority and only lost out thanks to a DNF for Kimi Raikkonen and a poor strategy call. But that was perhaps the closest the team got to securing a victory all season.

The team took only 11 podiums across the 21 races, with no victories or pole positions. It was 5 podiums less than what the team had managed in 2015, and Vettel never really featured in the title fight which was eventually won by Nico Rosberg.

The Scuderia slipped behind Red Bull in the constructors standings and finished in third. As 2016 drew to a close and 2017 dawned, people were expecting a battle between Red Bull and Mercedes, with Ferrari perhaps being there in third. No one really gave them a chance. But what transpired was their best shot at a title since 2008.

“The team is growing, and there are many positive aspects. Overall, I think we are on the right path.” – Sebastian Vettel


Five pole positions, five wins and 17 podiums so far this season marked a huge improvement in form and the title battle seesawed between Ferrari and Mercedes, and Vettel and Hamilton. It all went sour with the Singapore smash between Vettel, Raikkonen, Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso and the reliability issues in Sepang and Suzuka.

Had it not been for that, Vettel would still be right in the hunt for the title and if he hadn’t endured ‘argy-bargy’ with Hamilton in Baku, he could even be leading the championship! Despite the bumps along the road, Ferrari became title contenders again – all without being given a chance coming into the new season.

This alone is why Ferrari can be proud. Going into 2017 they weren’t given a hope in hell of challenging for this title, yet perhaps produced the overall better race car of the year and really took the fight to the all conquering Mercedes team.

Vettel produced some stellar drives such as Australia and Monaco, and some of his pole laps were sensational with perhaps Singapore and Mexico the standouts in the bunch. Raikkonen’s pole lap in Monaco was also something for the books. Ferrari may have lost the war this year, but they will come back even stronger in 2018. You can bet on that.

Nico Rosberg - "That's it"

After 206 starts, 23 wins, 30 pole positions and 1 world title, Nico Rosberg has retired from Formula 1. Not even a week has elapsed since he claimed Motorsports ultimate prize. And boy did he go out with a bang! He survived what he called "the most intense 55 laps of my career" to take a hugely emotional first title, and at last achieved his childhood dream. And after eleven years in Formula 1, he decided "that's it". 

You have to admire the resilience and tenacity Rosberg has shown this season. He has gone up against one of the fastest there is, in Lewis Hamilton, and been defeated twice in succession. Perhaps most would have called it quits after that. But not Rosberg. No way. He kept going, kept fighting, worked harder than ever in 2016. And it paid off. He refused to go quietly, never once backed down, and gave Hamilton plenty of headaches. It was a great way to bow out of a wonderful career.

He joined Formula 1 in 2006 with Williams, and instantly made an impression. He scored two points on his debut in Bahrain, and set fastest lap. Against more experienced teammate Mark Webber, he fared well. However, things were tough for Williams that year. He scored just once through the rest of the season. This characterised the Williams spell of his career. The car was just not competitive enough to fight with the likes of Ferrari and McLaren, so that made any podium appearances Rosberg made even more remarkable. 

His first two podiums did indeed come with Williams, the first being in Australia in 2008. He was third on that day, as future teammate Hamilton took the victory. The hugs and smiles then have not been seen often recently! The second of the two was arguably one of his best ever drives, with second place in Singapore. He achieved this thanks to the safety car brought out by 'that' crash from Piquet Jr. Had the rather ridiculous 'pitlane closed after SC deployment' rule not been in place back then, he potentially could have won the race as well. He was after all infront of Alonso when the SC went in...

2009 was a season that could have given so much more. The FW31 was a decent car, but it never really lived up to its potential. A race win potentially went begging in Malaysia, and second place certainly went away in Singapore after a mistake at the pit exit. Ultimately, 2009 was to be Rosbergs final season in blue and white. A deal almost came off with BMW Sauber, before BMW left the sport. That paved the way for him to join Brawn, which was about to become Mercedes. And he joined one of the greatest of all time...Michael Schumacher.

Mercedes hoped for big things in their comeback year, but it took a while for things to really get going. Rosberg comprehensively beat Schumacher in 2010, with 142 points to Schumacher's 72. He also took three podiums and almost won the Chiniese Grand Prix as well. 2011 was even tougher for the team, with neither driver taking to the podium, although they did come close again in China. That same place would be the scene of their first win next year.

It was Rosberg who took his and the teams first win since the Silver Arrows returned, and it was a hugely emotional occasion, coupled with Rosberg's first pole position the previous day. It had taken 111 starts, but he finally achieved it. Second place in Monaco was also to follow, but the Mercedes massively fell off the pace as the season went on. At the end of it, Schumacher retired, and Hamilton joined Rosberg. And we all know what happened next...

Rosberg added to his victory tally over the next three years, with three Monaco victories surely being the highlights. He showed his one lap pace as well, adding 29 further pole positions to the one he took in 2012, and outclassed Hamilton in qualifying in 2014. However, he came up short in his world title quest during the first two years of the hybrid era. He bravely took it to the wire in Abu Dhabi 2014, only to be let down by his car that race. 2015 saw him outclassed by Hamilton, but three successive wins at the end of the year, after a bitter defeat in Austin, raised hope of a 'new' Rosberg in 2016.

Four successive wins gave Rosberg a massive headstart in 2016. However, midseason saw Hamilton claw it back to take a 19 point advantage going into the summer break. But, a resurgent Rosberg took control of the championship again, with wins in Spa, Monza and Singapore, the last probably the greatest drive of his career. He extended that lead to 33 points after Suzuka, and only needed to be second in the last four races of the season to be champion. With the pressure on, he did just that, and his drive in Abu Dhabi, with pressure infront and behind, was a drive worthy of a world champion.

With the title now his, Rosberg made the biggest decision of his career. On the 2nd of December, he announced he was to retire from Formula 1. His statement read as follows; 

"Since 25 years in racing, it has been my dream, my ‘one thing’ to become Formula One World Champion. Through the hard work, the pain, the sacrifices, this has been my target.And now I’ve made it. I have climbed my mountain, I am on the peak, so this feels right. My strongest emotion right now is deep gratitude to everybody who supported me to make that dream happen.

“This season, I tell you, it was so damn tough. I pushed like crazy in every area after the disappointments of the last two years; they fueled my motivation to levels I had never experienced before. And of course that had an impact on the ones I love, too – it was a whole family effort of sacrifice, putting everything behind our target. I cannot find enough words to thank my wife Vivian; she has been incredible. She understood that this year was the big one, our opportunity to do it, and created the space for me to get full recovery between every race, looking after our daughter each night, taking over when things got tough and putting our championship first.

“When I won the race in Suzuka, 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. 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… and then the lights went out and I had the most intense 55 laps of my life. I took my decision on Monday evening. After reflecting for a day, the first people I told were Vivian and Georg (Nolte, from Nico’s management team), followed by Toto.

“The only thing that makes this decision in any way difficult for me is because I am putting my racing family into a tough situation. But Toto understood. He knew straight away that I was completely convinced and that reassured me. My proudest achievement in racing will always be to have won the world championship with this incredible team of people,the Silver Arrows.

“Now, I’m just here to enjoy the moment. There is time to savour the next weeks, to reflect on the season and to enjoy every experience that comes my way. After that, I will turn the next corner in my life and see what it has in store for me…”

And thus, an 11 year career, has come to an end. Nico Rosberg's childhood dream was to become Formula 1 World Champion. It took him a longtime to achieve it, but he did it. He leaves as the number one, and at the absolute peak of his career. A gentlemen, a racer, a husband, a father...a champion.  As he has said so many times after winning a race, "that's it". Danke schon Nico. Wir werden Sie vermissen Weltmeister!