Formula One: Sebastian Vettel staying at Ferrari amid rumours of Mercedes offer

He took out nine of this season’s 21 Grand Prix events, which gave Rosberg a five-point lead over Hamilton in the title rankings.

“First of all I need to say I came here for the first time 15 years ago”.

The 31-year-old German, who beat off team-mate Lewis Hamilton in the finale, is the first reigning champion to quit since Alain Prost in 1993.

In capturing the title Rosberg emulated his father Keke, who won the F1 crown in 1982.

He also ignored the team orders from executive director Paddy Lowe twice in the process, and although he won the race, he failed to deter his teammate from finishing second. “After that, I will turn the next corner in my life and see what it has in store for me”. They’ve got new management now at McLaren. “Maybe hes fed up being there and theyre fed up having him”.

Who should replace Rosberg in 2017?

“I love racing and I want to continue”.

The Mercedes Formula 1 team has continued its recent dominance of the Racing Car of the year category in the Autosport Awards, receiving the accolade for the third-straight year.

The popular names that cropped up were Sebastian Vettel, Pascal Wehrlein, and Fernando Alonso.

Britain’s Jenson Button, meanwhile, was 10/1 to call off his retirement. “And now I’ve made it”, Rosberg said.

Nico Rosberg shocked the Formula 1 world earlier this week by announcing that he was calling time on his career at the pinnacle of motorsport only a few days after securing a maiden world championship crown.

Rivals also will see a dream vacancy that every driver on the starting grid would jump at if given the chance, Mercedes being the most dominant team in the sport with 19 wins in 21 races this season.

“I’m probably one of the only people that it was not a surprise to, but that’s because I’ve known him for a long time”, Sport24 quoted Hamilton as saying. In a statement, Wolff goes on to say that, “This is a courageous decision by Nico and testament to the strength of his character”.

“Since I was six years old I had a clear dream, that was to become F1 world champion and it was very clear in my mind, whatever I could think, I have achieved it. At first I didn’t believe him”, he said.

Unlike Hamilton, Rosberg’s exit caught Jean Todt, the president of motor sport’s ruling body the FIA, unawares.

He then added: “I have been with the Mercedes family since the age of 13 and I hope by the time it comes to my retirement that I can speak German to you”.

“We have lost a champion – the best driver of 2016”.