F1: Rosberg announces immediate retirement

Nico Rosberg has shocked the F1 world by retiring from the sport with immediate effect, just days after winning the 2016 drivers’ world championship in Abu Dhabi.

The German made the surprise announcement during a press conference at the FIA Prize Giving in Vienna on Friday, saying he has achieved a childhood dream in becoming world champion.

• MEDLAND: Was Rosberg's retirement really a shock?

“I have decided to end my Formula 1 career at this moment," Rosberg said. "To explain, ever since I started, since I was six years old, I had a very clear dream and that was to become Formula One world champion. It was very, very clear in my mind for as long as I was growing up. Now I've achieved that.

"I've put everything into it for 25 years of racing and with the help of everybody around me. With the help of fans, with the help of my team around me, my family and friends, I've managed to achieve that this year. So it's been an incredible experience for me which I will remember forever.

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"At the same time thought it has been very, very tough. The last two years losing to Lewis were extremely difficult moments for me which fuelled my motivation in a way that I didn't even know was possible, to fight back.”

Explaining the motivation behind his decision, Rosberg said he is unwilling to make the same commitment to defend the world championship after he and his family had to make so many sacrifices, with the 31-year-old becoming a father last year.

"This year was extremely tough because I put everything into it. I didn’t leave a stone unturned from Austin last year really, where I suffered a lot after that loss. So I pushed like crazy along with everyone who was involved, which is also my family. A lot of sacrifices.

"My wife, for example, at home. Every time I was at home she understood I needed to rest, so I never did any nights, I never had to take care of our little daughter. I never did any nights, never did any difficult things. She was always there to support and to make it as easy as possible, and that's just one example of the commitment we put into it.

"I've achieved this childhood dream now and I’m not willing to do that sort of commitment again for another year. I'm not interested in coming fourth or whatever. I'm a fighter and I want to win. I'm not interested to do that again, I don't want to do it again so I decided to follow my heart which told me to stop there, call it a day and go on to other things.

"It's been wonderful and it just feels right to me. I'm very excited, my wife Vivian is also very excited, she'll have her husband back and I'll be a dad again then in the next time, which is going to be wonderful."