Formula 1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve has “difficulties” with how Nico Rosberg resigned after winning the title in 2016.
In the podcast “Red Flags” Villeneuve said: “Rosberg was completely burned down at the time. You could see that. You could see that he had no passion for racing. And every time I see him, I miss this passion with him.”
According to Villeneuve, Motorsport “doesn’t matter. He just wanted to win the World Cup like his father and then move on. He became world champion, but after that he didn’t want it anymore.”
“Contradicts my instinct”
Villeneuve – like Rosberg the son of a successful Formula 1 driver – cannot understand this. “One wonders: ‘Why did you run at all? Why did you even start – if you never had this passion?'”
From his point of view, it is “sad” that you can sometimes win without this passion. This simply contradicts my instinct and the roots of racing. But it happened – there were a few such cases, “says Villeneuve.
“Often you only notice after winning: ‘Why did I actually do that?’ And then you think: ‘I don’t like racing.
How much Rosberg added
Especially since the 2016 Formula 1 season with the intensive World Cup title fight against Lewis Hamilton Rosberg had greatly added, as Rosberg himself repeatedly admitted.
Villeneuve speaks of a “mental victory” over Hamilton: “It was obvious what Rosberg was doing. At that time everyone was suddenly angry on Rosberg because he was so mean – while Hamilton did the same, even more – only very discreet.”
Villeneuve doesn’t go into detail. He only says: “Lewis never saw it. So we didn’t see the best Lewis back then.” But this thesis also remains without further explanation.
Nico Rosberg after the Formula 1 career
Rosberg had prevailed against Hamilton after two World Cup defeats in previous years and surprisingly announced his resignation on the edge of the World Champion award by the World Automobile Association (FIA).
Since then, Rosberg has been operating as an entrepreneur and occasionally acts as a TV expert for various Formula 1 channels-and with his selfies causes a sensation in the paddock.