Lewis Hamilton has insisted that he was not surprised to hear the news of Nico Rosberg's retirement from Formula 1.
Last weekend, Rosberg won his first world title on the final weekend of the 2016 season and it was expected that he and Hamilton would do battle for the crown again next year with Mercedes looking to continue their dominance in the sport.
However, just five days on from being crowned world champion in Abu Dhabi, Rosberg has made the decision to end his time in Formula 1 but Hamilton - who has known Rosberg since their karting days - has suggested that he was expecting the German to end his career.
In a statement, the 31-year-old said: "I'm probably one of the only people that this was not a surprise to. That's because I have known him a long time.
"It's going to be very, very strange and it is going to be sad not to have him in the team next year. The sport will miss him and I wish him all the best."
Mercedes will now begin the search for a new teammate for Hamilton ahead of the next campaign.
Darren Plant
