2016 Formula 1 world champion Nico Rosberg says he’s ‘open to all possibilities’ regarding a return to racing over eight months after he announced his shock retirement from F1.
The German triumphed over long-time rival and Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton in a closely fought title battle last year before calling time on his career just five days after the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Since then he has been enjoying a quieter life with his family, traveling but was present for the races in Monaco and Silverstone. Commenting on what comes next, Rosberg told the DPA news agency that an F1 return was ‘definitely not’ on the cards but refused to rule out other racing categories.
“Now I’m in a great situation in my life – it’s like a discovery phase,” he said..”Racing will always be fun to me, so let’s see what happens. I will always be passionate about our sport and there will always be options to be involved.
“It does not have to be tomorrow, it could be in 10 years, but I will be open to all possibilities.”
Reports have suggested Rosberg could take up a managerial role within Mercedes’ Formula E team after recently announcing their participation in the series from season six, along with fellow Germann manufacturers Audi, BMW and Porsche.
The 31-year-old refused to confirm any involvement but expressed a real passion and excitement for electric racing and the future of the automobile industry.
“This is the future of the world and it will be exciting to see when all those manufacturers put their cards on the table,” he claimed. “It will change our world completely.
“We’ll have cars that drive themselves and not just in 20 years – it’s just around the corner. I’m very interested in how our lives will be simplified by that,” he added.