F1 World Champion health ‘became a heartbreaking h...

F1 World Champion health ‘became a heartbreaking h… read more

Former Formula 1 World Champion Keke Rosberg has revealed the serious toll long Covid has taken on his health and why he has distanced himself from the sport in recent years. The 1982 title winner opened up in a candid interview with Finnish magazine Apu, detailing the impact the illness has had on his energy and lifestyle, ultimately leading him to withdraw from public life.

Rosberg, who captured his sole World Championship driving for Williams in a turbulent 1982 season, remained a prominent figure in the F1 paddock long after retiring from racing in 1986. After his F1 career, he moved into sportscar racing and eventually established Team Rosberg, a motorsport outfit where he has continued to serve as a team principal alongside his son Nico Rosberg—himself a World Champion in 2016—and business partner Arno Zensen.

However, in recent years, Rosberg has largely vanished from the public eye. In his interview, he explained the reasoning behind this retreat, attributing it to the long-lasting and debilitating symptoms of long Covid. “I couldn’t continue. I categorically ended everything and became a hermit,” he said. He emphasized that the condition has severely depleted his energy levels and that the effects have been made worse by the isolation it brought.

Rosberg spoke frankly about the lack of understanding surrounding long Covid, a condition characterized by persistent health problems following a Covid-19 infection. “There are a great many people who are suffering severely from it,” he stated. For him, the illness has become a secondary condition worsened by solitude. “I have hardly any energy left. I used to have a list of things that still needed to be done. I still have a list – but with things I won’t be able to do anymore,” he admitted.

In the interview, Keke also reflected on his son Nico Rosberg’s 2016 championship victory, calling it the proudest moment in their family’s motorsport legacy—even greater than his own 1982 title. Nico’s title came after a fiercely competitive season with teammate Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, marked by high tension and fierce rivalry. But what followed caught Keke off guard: Nico’s unexpected retirement from Formula 1.

Keke recalled being blindsided by the decision. “He didn’t say anything,” he said. “Nico sent a text to his mother and said to tell his father later. It felt like a big fist to the diaphragm.” Keke explained that Nico likely avoided discussing the decision with him to prevent being swayed by his father’s opinion. “That decision was difficult enough anyway,” he noted.

Since then, Nico has found a new path in F1 punditry, while Hamilton continued to dominate the sport, securing four more titles. Now, Hamilton is seeking his record-breaking eighth championship, having joined Ferrari in a highly anticipated move for the 2025 season.

Keke Rosberg’s revelations offer a poignant look into the personal challenges faced even by sporting legends, as well as the far-reaching impacts of long Covid.