“It’s the tough moments and the losses which we need to try and use and grow stronger and come back, push and reap motivation and more determination,” is how recently retired Formula 1 champion Nico Rosberg reflected on some of the painful moments he experienced as a driver, especially in recent seasons.
Forever shunted to the background, Rosberg gradually grew in confidence after polishing his skills as a driver when he was with Williams. His jump to Mercedes in 2010 witnessed his full bloom as a racer with immense potential to a champion, which he became on Sunday. As the world comes to terms with his shock retirement, here is a look back at some of his best moments in front of the wheel.
In 2006, Rosberg was barely 21 and was picked up Williams. By no means was the car that he drove considered good enough to finish in the points tally, let alone on the podium but Rosberg ploughed his way through the odds and finished seventh in the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Through the course of this race, Rosberg also recorded the fastest lap, and, was at the time, the youngest to do so. In the clip below, Rosberg shows tremendous stealth and awareness to cut in on the inside line, executing a perfect slingshot overtake to leave Christian Klien trailing.
Two years later, Rosberg truly came into own, completing his first podium finish at the Australian Grand Prix. Even though he received a 10-place grid penalty for crashing into Lewis Hamilton at the Canadian Grand Prix, he bounced back strongly at Singapore, finishing behind Fernando Alonso.
Rosberg’s ascendancy continued in 2009, where he brought up every point that Williams registered, and finish seventh in the Driver’s Championship. Rosberg cut out some of the recklessness that had clouded the previous season. Who can forget him overtaking Sebastian Vettel off the line in Singapore, only to be slapped with a drive-through penalty later in the race.
Before the Rosberg-Hamilton duopoly kicked off in recent years, there was intense battle with Red Bull’s Vettel. This video shows how similar the two are with their driving styles.
Rosberg remarkably catches up with Vettel, who was in his dominant phase during this time, but it is the latter’s slow-speed turn-in manoeuvre that stands out. This race also shows how Rosberg struggled with the use of the Drag Reduction System in the early years of its implementation.
Michael Schumacher had retired and Rosberg stepped into his legendary compatriot’s shoes with panache, zooming to a first-place finish in the Australian Grand Prix, winning with 20 seconds to spare. Here is the 31-year-old blitzing his way to record the fastest lap in the race.
Rosberg’s outstanding displays in 2015 got him widespread praise from all quarters and, at the time, was his best season. He also became only the fourth driver to win the Monaco Grand Prix three times on the bounce, and finished second in the championship.
The see-saw battle between him and Hamilton headlined 2016. The Briton, against whom Rosberg has quite a history dating back to their days as a teenager, faltered at the final leg of the season, allowing Rosberg to claw his way back. It was the German who set the pace early in the season.
Going into the final race in Abu Dhabi, Rosberg just needed to finish on the podium to finish as the champion, a task he duly completed. Five days later, he decided the fuel had run out of his tank.