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What if Nico Rosberg had never retired? The explosive impact on F1 history revealed!

Simon Monroy by Simon Monroy
January 10, 2026
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
What if Nico Rosberg had never retired? The explosive impact on F1 history revealed!

What If Nico Rosberg Had Stuck Around? The Game-Changing Impact on F1

As the Formula 1 world celebrated the 41st birthday of the legendary Lewis Hamilton, a tantalizing question emerged: what if Nico Rosberg, the man who wrestled the world championship from Hamilton in 2016, had continued racing? Rosberg, who turns 41 this June, has been absent from the grid for a decade now, following his shocking retirement just days after clinching his title. This unexpected exit left Mercedes reeling, scrambling to fill the void left by the world champion before the 2017 season kicked off.

Enter Valtteri Bottas, who ultimately took Rosberg’s seat. But did Bottas ever truly challenge Hamilton? The answer is a resounding no. Between 2017 and 2020, Bottas’ performances fell short against Hamilton’s relentless pursuit of glory. But the big question remains: how would Rosberg have fared had he stayed in the game?

Imagine the drama of a Hamilton-Rosberg rivalry reigniting on the track. Their history is rich, having once been friends and teammates at Mercedes, where they first fought alongside each other against the legendary Michael Schumacher. However, as Mercedes evolved into a powerhouse following the 2014 regulation changes, the friendly camaraderie soured, morphing into a fierce, cutthroat rivalry. The infamous 2016 season saw their relationship unravel, highlighted by a catastrophic crash in Spain that resulted in zero points for the team.

Fast forward to the evolution of F1 in the hybrid era. Would Mercedes have been able to maintain both Rosberg and Hamilton as teammates? The mounting pressure to secure constructors’ points would have made that arrangement increasingly untenable. As Ferrari stepped up their game, claiming multiple wins in 2017 and 2018, it became paramount for Mercedes to have a consistent lineup that could deliver podium finishes without internal strife. Rosberg, a champion in his own right, might have felt stifled without the number one status, potentially leading him to consider a switch to rival teams, similar to Daniel Ricciardo’s 2018 move.

Now, let’s ponder the burning question: how many titles could Rosberg have added to his tally? While his 2016 championship was undeniably well-deserved, it came with a fair share of Hamilton’s misfortune, including a catastrophic engine failure at the Malaysian GP that swung the title race dramatically. Would Rosberg have been able to fend off Hamilton’s resurgence in the following years? Speculation suggests that a three-way title fight between Rosberg, Hamilton, and a revitalized Sebastian Vettel would have been electrifying, but Rosberg might have found himself on the outside looking in.

If Rosberg had opted for a change in scenery, perhaps even joining Red Bull post-Ricciardo, another intriguing scenario unfolds. While he may have faced the formidable Max Verstappen, the new regulations in 2021 could have opened doors for Rosberg to find success once more. The big question remains: would Hamilton still be the seven-time world champion he is today?

The consensus leans toward a firm “yes.” Hamilton was in a league of his own during those dominant years, with a laser focus on securing records and championships, driven by the sting of his 2016 defeat. While Rosberg might have outperformed Bottas, the likelihood of him besting Hamilton again seems slim.

In a world where Rosberg remained in F1, the landscape of the sport might have been significantly altered, with intense rivalries and nail-biting races redefining what we know today. The absence of Rosberg’s talent has left us wondering what could have been—a thrilling chapter in F1 history that will forever remain unwritten.

Tags: 1958-formula-1-season2019-red-bull-crandon-world-cupaf-corse-ferrarijamarr-chases-mercedes-maybachLewis HamiltonNico RosbergValtteri Bottas
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