Rosberg: 'The start of a race is intense as hell'

The start of a Formula 1 race is always an exciting moment, as it can partly determine the race. It is also an exciting event for the drivers, as everyone fights for the best position at the exit of the first corner. However, few will actually be able to experience what it's like in a car, although Nico Rosberg has found a nice comparison.

At Der Standard the world champion of 2016 says: "You can compare the feeling of the start with the birth of your first child in the first ten minutes that you are in the delivery room". Both moments have similarities, because it is "intense as hell", mainly because what happens afterwards is not certain.

However, the comparison made by Rosberg does not stop there, because a victory in Formula 1 is also a special moment. According to Rosberg, that is the same as when you hold your child in your arms for the first time. The nuance that applies here is that a private environment contributes to the experience.

So he says: "Of course the private sphere has more power there, but in this way you might be able to understand the dimension of intensity a little bit."

After winning his world title in 2016, Rosberg immediately decided to put an end to his career. That came as a surprise, but his primary reason for doing so was because he no longer wanted to experience continuous pressure.

"At some point you long to start a day that is completely 'freestyle', where it's not just about winning the next race", in other words: not only the start is intense, the races also put a lot of pressure on a driver.