Nico Rosberg won't be returning to Formula 1 as a team boss

Having seen off his long-time rival and team-mate Lewis Hamilton, Rosberg made the unexpected decision to walk away from the sport in 2016 despite only being 31.

Rosberg cited a desire to spend more time with his family as a result of his decision, something that his fellow German Sebastian Vettel also suggested was behind his choice to retire at the end of the 2022 campaign.

Since then, Rosberg has dipped his toes into numerous other business ventures such as founding his own Extreme E team, Rosberg X Racing.

The team finished second in the 2022 Championship, just two points behind Hamilton's team, and Rosberg said he has enjoyed the more relaxed lifestyle of the series.

Asked by Spanish newspaper AS if he saw himself running a team in any other series, Rosberg said his answer in regards to a return to Formula 1 was "clearly no."

"It's a good question," the 37-year-old said. "A lot of people have asked me that since Extreme E is doing so incredibly well, would I want to be a team boss in a Formula 1 team at some point. My answer is clearly no.

"The good thing about Extreme E is that there are not too many races. You know at the moment we have five races a year and F1 has 24 races a year, so it's a full-time life commitment. There's very little room in the World Championship to spend time with family, friends… and I've done that.

"The racing driver I was and my current self don't want to do that ever again. That intensity, that dedication, that inflexibility in life… I love my life now and that means I could never have a full-time job in Formula 1."

The all-encompassing nature of the Formula 1 season has even been brought up by the current World Champion Max Verstappen, who suggested he may walk away at the end of his contract and at a time when he is 31, the same age Rosberg was when he retired.

"I haven't made up my mind what I will do after 2028. I might stop," he told the Daily Mail. "I have been in Formula 1 since I was 17. It's been a long time. I've done a lot of seasons in F1.

"I don't see myself driving until I'm 40, in Formula 1 at least. I want to also do other things. But I still have a few more years in Formula 1 for sure."