F1 champion Nico Rosberg reveals 'intense' fear of losing title

Martin Brundle and Nico Rosberg at the Monaco GP talking into Sky mics by the harbour — Photo: © IMAGO

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F1 champion reveals 'intense' fear of losing title

Even the best F1 drivers struggle with success

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Wednesday 24 June 2026 13:55

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F1 champion Nico Rosberg has admitted that the closer he came to clinching the 2016 drivers' championship, the more intense his fear of losing it became.

The former Silver Arrows star infamously threw everything he had at his shot to claim the drivers' title a decade ago, eventually fighting off Lewis Hamilton to take the coveted prize.

The pair were once childhood friends who had grown up karting together before getting the chance to race alongside one another for Toto Wolff's F1 outfit.

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However, that relationship was tarnished beyond repair in 2016 when their rivalry reached its most intense peak.

The Barcelona Grand Prix last time out saw Hamilton take his first grand prix win for new team Ferrari but it also marked the 10-year anniversary of a moment he and former team-mate Rosberg would rather forget.

On the opening lap of the 2016 Spanish GP the Mercedes duo crashed into one another, ending both of their races.

This didn't stop Rosberg from finishing what would go on to be his final F1 campaign five points clear of second-placed Hamilton.

Rosberg reveals 'weird' aspects of F1 success

After the season-ending Abu Dhabi GP, Rosberg shocked the paddock by announcing his retirement from F1 at just 31 years of age, clearly content with having capitalised on fine margins and matching the achievement of his father, 1982 champion Keke Rosberg.

Rosberg has now revealed how success impacted him in the less obvious ways, writing in a LinkedIn post: "Success made me more afraid, not less.

"The closer I came to becoming Formula 1 World Champion, the more intense the fear became. In my mind, it felt like I was close to the top of Everest, and at that point, almost anything you do can be a step back down, which is essentially failure!

"Suddenly, instead of thinking: “How do I win?”, I was thinking: “How do I avoid losing everything?”

"Success is weird in that way."

The 2016 champion then linked his experience at the very top of the standings in the pinnacle of motorsport to his business ventures, as is the way most of his LinkedIn posts end nowadays.

The ex-racer turned pundit then shared some parting advice with his followers, adding: "When there’s a reputation to protect, suddenly the psychology changes and you realise just how much you stand to lose.

"Here’s what I’ve learnt in handling success, and how to avoid the self-sabotage that comes with it:

"Keep making decisions before you feel 100 per cent ready. You never have perfect information. Stop doubting yourself- even if the stakes are now higher!

"Separate your identity from the result. A bad race didn’t mean I was a bad driver. The same way a bad quarter doesn’t mean you’re a bad founder. If every setback becomes personal, you’ll naturally start avoiding risk. And risk in this case is good!!

"Keep people around you who challenge your thinking. Success tends to create agreement (or more people telling you that you’re right).

"That feels nice, but it’s actually pretty dangerous. You need people around you who will still tell you the truth- even when you do not want to hear it.

"The paradox is that the more successful you become, the more consciously you need to protect the behaviours that created the success. (Curiosity, speed, openness… or maybe just the courage to look a little bit stupid.)"

Written by

Kerry Violet - F1 News Editor

Having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a 2:1 in Journalism in 2022, Kerry continued her pursuit of finding a full-time position in motorsport through work with the F1 Arcade in London, where she got to meet true fans of the sport and make a live grand prix watch party memorable for them. It was here that she confirmed her dream of combining her background in journalism and love of motorsport, going on to volunteer with the female-led platform Empoword Journalism. Having completed stints as a screen editor and sports editor, Kerry landed her first F1-specific editorial role with GPFans and has thoroughly enjoyed continuing to work closely with the sport ever since. The access GPFans offers Kerry has allowed her to interview big names such as Naomi Schiff and David Coulthard and given her experiences she could only have dreamt of as a young F1 fan.

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F1 Mercedes Nico Rosberg