Nico Rosberg responds to Max Verstappen threat with truth about early F1 retirement
Nico Rosberg responds to Max Verstappen threat with truth about early F1 retirement
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Nico Rosberg would "understand" if Max Verstappen followed through on his threats to retire from Formula 1 at a young age. Verstappen is only 27 years old and is already a four-time drivers' champion. He is just three more title successes away from matching the all-time record currently jointly held by Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton - and time is very much on his side.
But that is only if the case if the Dutchman's career is of a similar length to those of his fellow F1 legends. And he has made it clear on many occasions that, unless he has a significant change of heart, it certainly won't be. Verstappen currently has a contract with Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season and he has already said there is a good chance he will never sign another F1 deal again. That would mean retirement at the age of 31, while both Hamilton and Schumacher continued into their 40s.
While retiring at such an early age would be unusual, it certainly wouldn't be unprecedented. Rosberg was also 31 when he called time on his F1 racing career, just days after achieving his childhood dream of becoming champion by beating Mercedes team-mate Hamilton in the 2016 championship.
And the German can envisage Verstappen also walking away despite possibly having more to give if he wanted to. "It's possible [that he could retire at 31], Max has already achieved so much despite his young age," Rosberg told Gazzetta dello Sport. "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.".
