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Monaco GP: Champion Rosberg dismisses F1 return talk

Retired champion Nico Rosberg insists he is unlikely to consider a return to Formula 1 any time soon, describing his time in the sport as a 'chapter closed'.

The 2016 F1 world champion sent shockwaves through the sport at the end of last season when he announced his retirement days after securing his maiden title.

Since then Rosberg has maintained a relatively low profile but returned to the F1 paddock during this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix as a 'spectator' to watch his former Mercedes team fail to make it onto the podium for the first time since the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix.

On the weekend that saw Jenson Button return to F1 for a one-off outing with McLaren, Rosberg insists he is entertaining the idea of emulating him.

"No, I completely fulfilled in that [retirement] sense," he told the BBC. "The chapter is closed for me and I am just looking forward now. I am really excited about what is to come and I am really excited looking back. It was the perfect ending, the perfect career in what I wanted to achieve.

"I am lucky in a sense also to have that feeling and to have the opportunity at 31 to open up another career with the goal of being just as successful again and reaching out to people in a different way. That would be cool."

With Valtteri Bottas taking his seat in the team, Rosberg is impressed with the Finn's progress so far but admits it will take time for him to get fully up to speed.

"I knew how everybody worked and I knew how to set up the car and that is not something you can replace in a couple of days. They have found a very good replacement. But it is going to take him a bit longer in terms of experience to have a big impact on car set-up and development."

Despite his allegiance to Mercedes, Rosberg admits he wants to see the 2017 F1 title battle - which currently sees Ferrari's' Sebastian Vettel leading Lewis Hamilton by 25 points - go to the final round.

"My hopes are it goes to the wire," he continued. "That's what all of us fans want to see. Then, of course, I would hope my ex-racing family take it home."

Zdroj: crash.net