Nico Rosberg raises £79m with F1 icon enjoying huge success after retirement

's retirement from F1 after winning the 2016 Drivers' Championship title was one of the biggest shocks in the sport's modern history, but the German racer has ratified his decision since.

After hanging up his racing boots after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Rosberg opted for a total break-up from motorsport with his only involvement in F1 coming in the form of rare punditry appearances. Instead, he turned his attention to investment, stepping into the world of business.

This isn't uncommon for professional athletes, and Rosberg's former Mercedes team-mate, Lewis Hamilton, is already building his own business empire with a clothing brand, alcohol-free tequila, and a series of investments into sporting franchises and other companies.

Rosberg has already experienced success in his foray into business. In an interview with , the 39-year-old explained that he has raised over £79 million ($100m) in assets as part of his own venture capital fund, Rosberg Ventures.

The German ex-racer believes that his credentials as an F1 world champion have helped him get a foot in the door while negotiating potential deals, too. "I'm very humble usually, but I have to use the two-second intro to set myself apart," he said.

"So I just went straight [up to Mike Maples Jr, cofounding partner of Floodgate], and I was like, 'Hey, I'm Formula One world champion Nico.'" Rosberg met the venture capital giant at a business summit in New York.

Assessing the former Mercedes man's success, one of his investors told Forbes: "If you are not getting into the very best funds in venture, your average portfolio will show unsatisfying returns. There are a lot of people in the industry who walk around and are giving promises of what they can achieve, but Nico is delivering."

Rosberg manages this post-F1 adventure while also keeping a foot in the paddock. He makes a handful of punditry and co-commentary appearances on the Sky Sports F1 broadcasts throughout the season.

He will wave goodbye to one of his fellow world champion colleagues on that team though, after Damon Hill announced that he will be leaving his role come the end of the 2024 season.

The 1996 world champion took to the X social media platform with a heartwarming goodbye message. He wrote: "It's been a fantastic 13 years with @SkySportsF1 but all good things come to an end. I will miss the most impressive bunch of professionals it has ever been my pleasure to have worked with. Looking forward to new challenges."