Rosberg having no second thoughts about retirement

In an interview published in one month to the day since he clinched the drivers' title by finishing second to his British teammate, Lewis Hamilton, at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Nico Rosberg said he was convinced that his decision to leave the sport was the right one.

"My mission is fulfilled," he told the German broadsheet "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung"

"I am going out at the pinnacle of my performance and will now be working on new projects," he said, without going into details.

"Maybe it will be in the world of business. I have some ideas," he said, before adding that nothing concrete had been decided. The 31-year-old native of the western German city of Wiesbaden also said he planned to spend more time with his wife and young daughter.

Asked about his relationship with Hamilton, who in recent seasons had been his bitter rival but had also been his best friend in their younger days when both were racing go-karts, Rosberg didn't rule out a thaw in their relations.

"Maybe we'll get closer again, if it happens by chance, I'd like that." He said that he had also spoken to Hamilton about his resignation in a personal moment and "that was cool."

Although Rosberg said he still stood behind his decision to retire just days after winning the title, he conceded that the move had put his former Mercedes team in "a difficult situation."

Mercedes have yet to decide on a replacement for 2017 for Rosberg, but Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas is reported to be a leading candidate - assuming his current team, Williams, are willing to let him go.