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A22 SPORTS
Saturday 3 december 2016
Formula One champion Nico Rosberg announces retirement

CIARAN FAHEY “I’m probably one of the
Associated Press only people that it was
Quitting at the top, For- not a surprise to,” Hamilton
mula One champion Nico said. He later added: “Will I
Rosberg shocked the world miss the rivalry? Of course.”
of motor racing Friday by The three-time champion
announcing he was retiring said he would help Mer-
at the age of 31, five days cedes look for a replace-
after earning his first world ment.
championship. “I’m interested to see who
“I have decided to end my would want to be my team-
Formula One career. I had mate, and respect anyone
a very, very clear dream, that would want to,” Ham-
that was to become For- ilton said.
mula One world champion. Rosberg said it had been
I have achieved this child- his dream, “my ‘one thing’
hood dream now and I am to become Formula One
not willing to do that sort of world champion. Through
commitment again,” Ros- the hard work, the pain,
berg said in Vienna. the sacrifices, this has been
“So I have decided to fol- my target.
low my heart, and my And now I’ve made it. I
heart has told me just to have climbed my moun-
stop there, to call it a day.” tain.”
Rosberg said he made the In an online video, the Ger-
decision on Monday, a man said: “I’m not willing to
day after finishing second do it again next year.”
at the season-ending Abu Rosberg won 23 races (tied
Dhabi Grand Prix to clinch Nico Rosberg, 2016 F1 World champion, arrives for a FIA gala at Hofburg palace in Vienna, Austria, for 12th all-time) and 30
the F1 title. Friday, Dec. 2, 2016. pole positions (8th) from
“I am on the peak, so this Associated Press 206 races since his debut in
feels right,” he said. “It was a whole family effort teammate Lewis Hamilton. media. They dueled for the 2006.
He wrote on Facebook of of sacrifice, putting every- They came up through the F1 championship for the He began thinking of retire-
the difficulties he faced thing behind our target.” karting circuits to became last three years. Rosberg ment after winning in Suzu-
over a season that took a Rosberg had a strained re- fierce rivals in F1, constantly was runner-up to Hamilton ka in early October, “when
toll on people close to him: lationship with Mercedes needling each other in the in 2014 and 2015, but hung the destiny of the title was
on this year to relieve Ham- in my own hands.”
ilton of the title in the final Mercedes chief Toto Wolff
race. paid tribute to Rosberg for
Rosberg’s father, Keke, the making a “brave decision.”
1982 F1 champion, said af- “He has chosen to leave
ter watching his son in Abu at the pinnacle of his ca-
Dhabi that the strain of reer, as world champion,
fighting Hamilton was sap- having achieved his child-
ping him. hood dream,” Wolff said.
“I don’t know how much “The clarity of his judgment
it’s taken out of him,” Keke meant I accepted his deci-
Rosberg said on Sunday. sion straight away when he
“Maybe he retires tomor- told me.”
row.” Rosberg is the first reigning
All observers thought that champion to retire since
was a quip. Mercedes said Alain Prost in 1993.
on its website that Rosberg “If you accomplish your
“will stop racing in Formula goal, then there’s no
One with immediate ef- reason to stay around,”
fect.” track and field’s athlete
Hamilton said he was not of the year Usain Bolt said
surprised by his team- upon hearing the news in
mate’s decision. Monaco.q