Former Formula 1 driver Nico Rosberg believes that the prospect of Max Verstappen retiring from the sport at a young age is “possible.”
Rosberg, who is now a businessman and analyst for Sky Sports F1, retired from the sport at only 31 years of age, just days after securing his single Drivers’ Championship with the Mercedes team in 2016.
Speaking to Gazzetta Dello Sport, Rosberg stated his belief that the Red Bull man, who took his fourth straight title in 2024 at just 27, could go down a similar route.
“It’s possible,” he said. “Max has already achieved so much despite his young age.
“The intensity of Formula 1 leaves a mark on you, both mentally and physically. If he feels he has achieved what he set out to do, and he wants more out of life, I would understand his choice.”
Rosberg reaffirms ‘no regrets’ on own early retirement
After snatching his first title from the hands of Lewis Hamilton in 2021, Verstappen has gone on to even further heights, taking the next two championships in dominant fashion, and grinding-out his fourth last year amid a battle for supremacy with McLaren’s Lando Norris in a Red Bull car that was, for large periods, not the fastest car on the grid.
With the champions erring towards the wire, Verstappen clinched it with just two rounds remaining in Las Vegas, after strengthening his own position with victory at the Brazilian Grand Prix, in what has been regarded as one of the greatest drives of his career.
With 63 wins already under his belt, further 49 podium finishes and 40 pole positions, Verstappen has already cemented his status as one of the greatest F1 drivers of recent times.
He has often spoken suggestively towards the prospect of making an early exit from the sport, as well as speaking of his potential desire to race in another form of motorsport.
Rosberg added that he himself has not regretted his own hasty retirement, after a tumultuous inter-team rivalry with Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, in which the pair duelled for the title in 2014, 15 and 16.
“No, I have no regrets,” Rosberg said of his decision to retire.
“I realized my dream of becoming world champion and I wanted to leave at the peak of my career.
“By retiring I was able to spend more time with my family and start my career as an investor. I did what I felt was right for me.”
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