Nico Rosberg drives his 1955 Gullwing in Monaco

It sounds like he has a French accent now.

Rosberg retires

I like the guy even more now.

It's a bit sad to see a former champion come in fifth, sixth, or eleventh as time passes. I'm a huge Rosberg fan and I will readily admit that Hamilton is faster, more talented, and will never lose the championship to Rosberg again.

So the man is leaving on his own terms, with a loving young family, financial independence, and the knowledge that he was the best.

Who do you think will be his replacement at Mercedes?

#F1 Watch @MercedesAMGF1's @nico_rosberg announcing his retirement from racing at the #FIAPrizeGiving in #Vienna pic.twitter.com/eCxMx4LnYS

— FIA (@fia) December 2, 2016

Rosberg wins

Just think, if you're the Monaco-raised son of a millionaire former F1 champion, you too can be F1 champion!

Danke Mama und Papa ❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/2h9qZLbjve

— Nico Rosberg (@nico_rosberg) November 27, 2016

HAM ROS 2016 stats side-by-side

I am convinced that even with a 33 point lead and four races left, Rosberg will blow it.

Here are the stats from Australia through Japan this season. Note that Rosberg always started in the front row.

Rosberg Hamilton points chart

With Rosberg 23 points ahead right now, he has a decent chance of winning the championship. Of course, if anyone can come from behind, it's Hamilton. This chart shows the points competition between Rosberg (blue) and Hamilton (green) from Races 1 through 16 this season.

I looked up flights to Abu Dhabi, the final race of the season. The championship could be decided then. Etihad flies non-stop from SFO to Abu Dhabi. It's a 16 hour flight. And it looks like the flight path almost touches the North Pole.

Whom to root for in F1

Nico Rosberg is having a great run. He has won the last six races overall and the first three races of the season. I still think Hamilton is going to win the championship. But if Nico clinches it in 2016, I will have to find a new underdog to support.

In looking at the current roster, here are the candidates:
Most wins without a championship
Rosberg (17)
Massa (11)
Ricciardo (3)

Most podiums without a win
Grosjean (10)
Bottas (8)
Perez (5)

Nico Rosberg in 2016 F1 car

Most wins by non-champion after F1 championship already decided

By winning Abu Dhabi today, Rosberg won three races after Hamilton clinched the 2015 championship. I did a bit of digging and found the following drivers winning races after failing to win the driver's championship.

2015: Rosberg 3
2014: 0
2013: 0
2012: 0
2011: Hamilton 1, Webber 1
2010: 0
2009: Vettel 1
2008: 0
2007: 0
2006: 0
2005: Kimi 1
2004: Reubens 2, Montoya 1
2003: 0
2002: Reubens 3
2001: Montoya 1, Hakkinen 1
2000: 0

Total: Reubens 5, Rosberg 3, Montoya 2, Hamilton 1, Webber 1, Vettel 1, Kimi 1, Hakkinen 1

Blog reader m4ff3w poses with Hamilton and Rosberg

I don't know what his secret is, but m4ff3w, with his two kids in tow, met Rosberg and Hamilton after the race yesterday. More photos here and here.

Video clip from my seat at Suzuka

This was shot when Rosberg was still in fourth place, catching up to Bottas.

Finally, Rosberg wins

Classy Rosberg is classy

F1 champs and pole positions

I am resigned to the inevitable fact that Rosberg won't win the championship this season. But he will end up with more pole positions this season than Hamilton. Since 2000, this has only happened twice (in 2007, 2012), when the eventual champ did not score the most poles.

Edit: Ugh, I meant to say poles, not podiums, in the table below. Apologies.

Meeting Grosjean, Ricciardo, and Rosberg

Commenter and fellow Impulse owner m4ff3w hit the jackpot yesterday at COTA. He and his kids wandered around where they weren't supposed to and bumped into a few fellas.

More pictures (and story) here.

Mercedes tow truck

No snark or sarcasm-- I feel bad for Hamilton. The pendulum swings once again in Nico's favor, but when one man wins due to the other's mechanical issues, the win is a bit hollow.

That truck, by the way, is sharp looking.

2014 F1 podiums so far

Another great race for Mercedes. I was counting down the laps the entire time, hoping Rosberg didn't make a mistake. Hamilton is certainly quicker, so Rosberg has to play it cooler for the rest of the season.

Australia

Malaysia

Bahrain

China

Spain

Monaco

Rosberg and Heidfeld, seconds behind a win

As some of you know, I am/was a huge Heidfeld fan because he had so many podiums but never a win. Picking Rosberg as my new favorite driver when he moved to Mercedes is becoming a sound decision, especially this season. In the last four races, he's come in second all four times. Today, he finished barely half a second behind Lewis. Here is a breakdown of how close Heidfeld and Rosberg came to winning a race.

Heidfeld
2005 Monaco: 13.877 second behind Kimi
2005 Europe: 16.567 behind Alonso
2007 Canada: 4.343 behind Lewis
2008 Australia: 5.478 behind Lewis
2008 Canada: 16.495 behind Kubica
2008 GB: 1:08.577 behind Lewis
2008 Belgium: 9.383 behind Massa
2009 Malaysia: 22.722 behind Button

Rosberg in 2014
Malaysia: 17.313 seconds behind Lewis
Bahrain: 1.085 behind Lewis
China: 18.686 behind Lewis
Spain: 0.600 behind Lewis

What would you say to an F1 driver? (Mercedes)

My friend is working on getting us access to the garages in the days before the F1 race in Texas this November. I give him a 50-50 chance of success. I'm excited to see (and hear) the machinery up close. But what am I going to say if I meet a driver? More importantly, would I even be able to pick Max Chilton or Giedo van der Garde out of a line-up?

Let's start with Mercedes, an easy one.

To Nico Rosberg: Dude, you're my favorite driver on the grid! Congrats on Monaco!

To Lewis Hamilton: It's great to see you thriving at Mercedes!

What would you say to them?

Keke and Nico

Then:

Now:

Disappointment, thy name is Nico Rosberg

What the hell is wrong with the Mercedes?