Monoposto

Nº 33

Nico Rosberg

2016 World Champion

Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team

Overview

Nico Erik Rosberg, born in Wiesbaden on 27 June 1985 and raised largely in Monaco, raced under the German flag and won the 2016 World Drivers' Championship with Mercedes.1 His father, Keke, was the 1982 champion.1 They are one of only two father and son pairs to win the title, with Graham and Damon Hill.5

He clinched the title at Abu Dhabi on 27 November 2016, then announced his retirement five days later.1

2016

Nine wins, five points clear of Lewis Hamilton

Four wins, then contact in Spain

He won the first four races of the year, but his teammate Lewis Hamilton hit back after the two made high-speed contact in Spain.12 Hamilton took the championship lead over the following eight races.1

Third place was enough

Later wins in Belgium, Italy, Singapore and Japan swung it back.2 He needed no worse than third at the Abu Dhabi finale, finished second, and won the title by five points, 385 to 380.13

On 2 December, at the FIA ceremony in Vienna, he announced he was retiring.1

Every Grand Prix finish, 2016

Numeral size follows the result. Round 1 at left.

Image plates

3 photographs, in season order

Helmet

After eight years he changed his helmet from yellow to dark grey, in a design by Jens Munser.1

He raced as number 6, his wife's and father's lucky number.1 The drawing shows his 2016 design.

A drawing of his 2016 design.

Auge=mit · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Background removed

Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid

The W07 won 19 of the 21 races in 2016, 10 for Hamilton and nine for Rosberg.4 It also set records for podiums in a season, with 33, and constructors' points, with 765.4

The W07 at the British Grand Prix weekend, 2016.

Ben Sutherland · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Team wins, both drivers
19 of 21
Team points
765
Poles
20
Podiums
33

Road to the title

  1. 1996–2000Karting, runner-up in the 2000 CIK-FIA European Championship.1
  2. 2002Formula BMW ADAC champion, with nine wins from 20 races.1
  3. 2006Formula One debut with Williams in Bahrain.1
  4. 2010Moved to Mercedes.1
  5. 2012First win, at the Chinese Grand Prix.1
  6. 2016World Drivers' Champion, then retired.1

Records

  • World champion son of a world champion, shared only with Damon Hill5
  • Youngest driver to set a fastest lap at the time, Bahrain 20061

Sources