Driving through Monaco with Nico Rosberg in his Mercedes 300SL Gullwing

Talking to this astute, multilingual peddler, you realise that the hunger is still there, if not for the podium, but maybe for a more elevated platform.

Rosberg talks of his F1 crown as a ‘lighthouse’ and he believes he has at least one or two more to achieve. At 34, and retiring unusually young at the top of the totem pole, he has age and seemingly ambition and talent on his side. What lighthouse two or indeed three may look like is anyone’s guess as Rosberg seems to be in a period of discovery, looking at numerous options and opportunities until one takes his fancy.

There is an overarching theme to these projects: “If you want to put everything I’m doing in a nutshell, I want to have a positive impact, for many, many people out there and for our planet.” This is not the whimsical notions of a woke celebrity, but the thoughts of someone well travelled and well educated with time and resources in his hands.

Current ventures include an engineering company, TRE, his GreenTech festival that debuted at the Berlin Formula E race weekend, his podcast Beyond Victory and fulfilling his various ambassador roles for the likes of Rolex and Hugo Boss. Next in the pipeline is ‘Drivin’ with Nico’ which is not his new rush hour radio show, but a road rally starting in his hometown of Monaco and into the South of France in October. He wants to elevate his event above the now ubiquitous supercar rallies dotting the globe. The standout USP is spending time on road and track with a recently retired F1 champ, but also on the menu is fine food, fine accommodation and he hopes fine company. The rally is open to the public, but as with most rallies, there are entry requirements. Drivin’ with Nico allows cars built before 1985, a nod to Rosberg’s birth year, and despite his passion for new tech and electric propulsion, this event positively encourages vehicles from the internal combustion generations Hall of Fame. No less than a ’59 Ferrari 250 GT, a Lancia Astura and a Shelby Cobra are already confirmed.

As with many aspects of his life, you could not accuse Rosberg of going in half-cocked. His ride for the rally will be his immaculate 1955 Mercedes 300SL in white with red interior.

A drive around Monte Carlo in the SL provides the perfect backdrop to discuss his current projects. Unfortunately, there’s a heatwave weather alert in town which would test the climate control of a modern car never mind a pensioner Mercedes with nothing but air blowers. Mechanically the car performs immaculately but inside the cockpit, it’s a furnace. I am dying of self-diagnosed heat stroke whilst my unruffled driver seems to be coping a little better. Then I remember he has probably experienced slightly more uncomfortable in-car temperatures with the bonus of a race suit, helmet and fireproof underwear. After he reminds that in the Singapore GP in 2016, “I lost seven pounds in two hours of racing,” I feel suitably chastened and stop complaining.

Although by the time we round the Swimming Pool complex, he agrees the Gullwing needs a little ventilation assistance. With no wind-down windows, we resort to cracking the doors open to increase the airflow. I find myself in the unusual position of travelling around La Rascasse in a 300SL with both gullwing doors hinged open trying to interview a Rosberg. This is not lost on the local moped riders who swing by in relay for an ‘on the go’ chat. Admittedly he is in his home town but you realise from these brief interactions that Rosberg is held in warm appreciation. He’s a likeable guy who has bravely jumped off the rollercoaster at the apex and I’ve got a feeling this will serve him well.

I am pleased he has read my mind and decided to recreate a lap of the Monaco circuit out of season and a blat through the tunnel beckons. With the revs rising the Merc comes into its own. The car feels genuinely fast as we go through the kink with foot to the floor and the meagre couple of hundred horsepower is irrelevant to its owner. Rosberg seems to relish the smaller power and the analogue nature of the car compared to his high tech racer and the different challenges it presents.

“What I love about it is the emotion that comes across because the driving pleasure is so different to nowadays.  Nowadays you have the paddle shift and everything’s perfect and here you just feel amazing, when you push it through the mountains, the noise, the gear shifting – you have to wait like almost a second between gears because the engine is so heavy, to wait for the RPM to come back down.” It’s still a mightily impressive machine even after all this time.

“It’s absolutely fantastic isn’t it?” He doesn’t expect or wait for the obvious affirmative answer. “I just don’t think you can find another car that looks as good as this,” he grins.

As an obvious fan of the SL, I ask if he would have liked to have been in the Moss Mille Miglia era hustling these cars through the public roads at, still unimaginably, high average speeds. The answer is unequivocal “no, because I’d be scared, really, really scared,” he states honestly.

As for the Formula One circus that has occupied most of his adult life he is equally forthright. When you ask what he misses most the answer fires back quickly “winning”, and as if just realising where we are, he continues, “I miss celebrating the Monaco Grand Prix win with friends. It’s so powerful.”

Of course, Rosberg didn’t have to turn off the adrenalin tap so early, but he is content with his decision “for me it was the perfect way. Beating one of the best of all time… but I still have a big drive and urge to do cool things and have business success as well.”

The lap of the famous street circuit finishes a little too quickly but maybe just in time to avoid overheating of both car and passenger. At least when the flag drops for the start of the rally in October, the weather should be a little more temperate and Nico can drive the Gullwing with the doors closed this time.

Photography courtesy of Julian Bogner and Motorsport Images.