Nico Rosberg
In 2010 Nico joined Mercedes GP (the rebranded championship- winning Brawn F1 team) where he was paired with the seven-time champion Michael Schumacher, then in the twilight of his career. In their three season's together Rosberg, who mostly out-qualified and outscored him, learned a great deal from the sport's most successful driver. In 2012 Rosberg scored his first F1 victory, winning from pole in China.
In 2013, with 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton as his Mercedes team mate, Rosberg won twice, including Monaco (exactly 30 years after Keke won there), though he was outscored during the season by Hamilton, who finished fourth to Rosberg's sixth overall in the standings. In 2014 Rosberg upped his game, winning five races and scoring regularly to the point that he was still in contention to beat Hamilton to the title in the final race at Abu Dhabi. But Rosberg's car lost power and Hamilton won the race and the championship. Nonetheless Rosberg's private life had improved immeasurably. In July of 2014 Nico Rosberg and Vivian Sibold were married in a civil ceremony in Monaco.
With their 2015 Mercedes cars by far the class of the field, the team's policy of giving them equal opportunity placed maximum pressure on the drivers, whose once friendly rivalry deteriorated into an all-out psychological struggle for supremacy. Hamilton eventually became champion for the third time (with 10 victories to Rosberg's five - one of which was a third successive triumph in his home race, Monaco). A pivotal point for Rosberg took place in the United States Grand Prix, where his anger at making a driving error that handed the win to Hamilton, provoked the notorious 'Capgate' incident. Prior to the podium ceremony Hamilton playfully tossed a sponsor's cap at Rosberg, who threw it back at him in a fury. Rosberg later admitted he spent two days brooding over this "disastrous" race loss. Vowing to avoid such a "huge disappointment" in future, he hired a mind management specialist, practiced meditation and sharpened his driving skills through endless private testing in a kart. He went on to win the last three races of 2015. However the most important event in his life to date took place that summer when Vivian Rosberg gave birth to their daughter, Alaia. Her proud father spoke movingly of the blessed event. "We are totally overwhelmed and completely in love".
Filled with renewed resolve, the relentlessly resilient Rosberg applied all his cerebral attention to detail toward achieving his championship goal in 2016 - the longest ever Formula One season. He began the 21-race endurance contest with four successive victories. In the fifth event, in Spain, the two title rivals collided on the first lap and went no further. Thereafter they traded race wins (ultimately 10 to 9 for Hamilton), were penalised for rule infractions (four for Rosberg) and suffered mechanical misfortune (five for Hamilton). While Rosberg led the standings for most of the season Hamilton's victories in the final four races reduced Rosberg's lead to just five points at the finish, a dramatic, tension-filled event at Abu Dhabi.
In 2010 Nico joined Mercedes GP (the rebranded championship- winning Brawn F1 team) where he was paired with the seven-time champion Michael Schumacher, then in the twilight of his career. In their three season's together Rosberg, who mostly out-qualified and outscored him, learned a great deal from the sport's most successful driver. In 2012 Rosberg scored his first F1 victory, winning from pole in China.
In 2013, with 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton as his Mercedes team mate, Rosberg won twice, including Monaco (exactly 30 years after Keke won there), though he was outscored during the season by Hamilton, who finished fourth to Rosberg's sixth overall in the standings. In 2014 Rosberg upped his game, winning five races and scoring regularly to the point that he was still in contention to beat Hamilton to the title in the final race at Abu Dhabi. But Rosberg's car lost power and Hamilton won the race and the championship. Nonetheless Rosberg's private life had improved immeasurably. In July of 2014 Nico Rosberg and Vivian Sibold were married in a civil ceremony in Monaco.
With their 2015 Mercedes cars by far the class of the field, the team's policy of giving them equal opportunity placed maximum pressure on the drivers, whose once friendly rivalry deteriorated into an all-out psychological struggle for supremacy. Hamilton eventually became champion for the third time (with 10 victories to Rosberg's five - one of which was a third successive triumph in his home race, Monaco). A pivotal point for Rosberg took place in the United States Grand Prix, where his anger at making a driving error that handed the win to Hamilton, provoked the notorious 'Capgate' incident. Prior to the podium ceremony Hamilton playfully tossed a sponsor's cap at Rosberg, who threw it back at him in a fury. Rosberg later admitted he spent two days brooding over this "disastrous" race loss. Vowing to avoid such a "huge disappointment" in future, he hired a mind management specialist, practiced meditation and sharpened his driving skills through endless private testing in a kart. He went on to win the last three races of 2015. However the most important event in his life to date took place that summer when Vivian Rosberg gave birth to their daughter, Alaia. Her proud father spoke movingly of the blessed event. "We are totally overwhelmed and completely in love".
Filled with renewed resolve, the relentlessly resilient Rosberg applied all his cerebral attention to detail toward achieving his championship goal in 2016 - the longest ever Formula One season. He began the 21-race endurance contest with four successive victories. In the fifth event, in Spain, the two title rivals collided on the first lap and went no further. Thereafter they traded race wins (ultimately 10 to 9 for Hamilton), were penalised for rule infractions (four for Rosberg) and suffered mechanical misfortune (five for Hamilton). While Rosberg led the standings for most of the season Hamilton's victories in the final four races reduced Rosberg's lead to just five points at the finish, a dramatic, tension-filled event at Abu Dhabi.
