Former Formula One champion Nico Rosberg had a rare return to the cockpit of a racing car in a demo run for his Extreme E team this week.
Rosberg drove his team’s Rosberg X Racing car a the Nurburgring Offroad Park, near the famous F1 circuit and close to the team headquarters.
“This was simply a phenomenal experience,” Rosberg said. “I cannot believe the power of this car. Off-road driving is so much fun.”
Rosberg retired days after winning the 2016 F1 championship and has not raced competitively since.
He has remained actively involved in motorsports since, briefly as Robert Kubica’s manager, as an investor in Formula E and an occasional analyst with Sky Sports F1.
Rosberg looked poised to get more involved in Formula E at one stage but he instead focused on forming a team in Extreme E.
The championship also features a team run by Rosberg’s former Mercedes teammate and title rival Lewis Hamilton.
Former F1 champion Jenson Button was the biggest name driver to compete in the 2021 season, although he has not returned this year.
The second season of Extreme E, an off-road championship for all-electric SUV cars, continues at the start of July in Sardinia.
Rosberg’s team won the series’ inaugural championship in 2021 and started the new season by winning the opening round in Saudi Arabia.