Nico Rosberg retires: F1 drivers pay tribute to outgoing world champion after shock retirement decision

Lewis Hamilton praised his now ex-Mercedes teammate earlier in the week, with a number of drivers taking to Twitter to pay tribute following his retirement announcement

Nico Rosberg has announced his immediate retirement from Formula One (Getty)

The Formula One grid were quick to pay tribute to Nico Rosberg after the world champion announced his retirement on Friday in a shock press conference.

After winning the first world championship of his F1 career, Rosberg stunned onlookers when he announced his immediate retirement from Formula One ahead of Friday night’s FIA Prize Giving awards ceremony, five days following his moment of glory in Abu Dhabi.

The unexpected call triggered a wave of tributes to the 31-year-old, and the decision also perhaps explains Lewis Hamilton’s kindly-worded Twitter message to Rosberg to praise him for his successful season behind the wheel of his Mercedes, which looks set to be his last.

Despite their fierce rivalry over the last three years that has led to on-track discussions and off-track outbursts, the two remain friends having grown up racing against each other and the messages between the pair proved it was simply a racing rivalry.

The kind messages were not kept to Hamilton or indeed the drivers, as a number of teams also paid tribute to Rosberg ahead of tonight’s gala.

In what was a well-disguised nod to his retirement, Hamilton said of Rosberg: “We said we'd be champions back then, now we both are! Congratulations Nico, you did everything a champion needed to do. Well deserved.”

He was quickly joined by other current F1 drivers, with fellow German Nico Hulkenberg leading the way.

It’s not yet clear if Rosberg will continue to race in other formulas, or if he is calling it a day from motorsport full-time to be with his family. Mercedes are yet to choose Rosberg’s replacement, with Pascal Wehrlein, Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button and Esteban Ocon all among the leading candidates for the drive.