Interview with Nico Rosberg: I was at Fridays for Future

You describe yourself as a "sustainability entrepreneur." What exactly do you mean by that?

Nico Rosberg: That is a values-based entrepreneur. Someone who does not only think in profit-oriented terms but tries to have a positive impact on society or the environment with their investments.

How did that come about?

I made this promise to myself during my Formula 1 career: after the ego-driven phase, there would come one where I would do something for the greater good. I felt that something was missing.

One wakes up one day and suddenly thinks about the community instead of just their success?

It is a process that started during my active career. I worked closely with a psychologist, and in our joint work, it became clear how much strength one can draw from doing good and thinking about others. Today I know: It feels incredibly great to do something against climate change, and it motivates my entire team.

Can a race car driver vying for the world championship against Lewis Hamilton afford to be altruistic at all?

As an athlete, you have to be an egoist to succeed. But even then, one can try to find a certain balance. You need the support of the team, the fans. Nothing goes entirely alone.

Did a bad conscience play a role in transitioning from racing to sustainability?

Absolutely not. I am proud of my successes in motorsport. And one should not forget how many innovations in mobility have their origins in motorsport. Economical, compact turbo engines, hybrid drives, lightweight construction through carbon fibers—all of this started in Formula 1.

What's the idea behind the Extreme E series?

In Extreme E, we race with electric buggies in five world regions that are directly affected by climate change. In the Amazon, where forests are being cleared, or in Senegal, where plastic pollution in the oceans is a huge issue. Extreme E combines my two passions: sustainability and motorsport. We are a values-based racing team and thus hopefully an inspiration for other sports teams. Sports have incredible emotionality, and that should be used for the greater good: doing good, guiding the masses on the right path, being a role model.

What are the core values that Extreme E represents?

For example: We guarantee that we leave the places where we race in a better condition than we found them. Raising awareness for climate change is one thing, but immediate action on-site, supporting the people there, is just as important. At the end of 2020, we were testing in Spain. Our team contacted the country's leading reforestation company and established a partnership. A deal with the racetrack ensures that part of it is planted with trees. We planted the first 100 ourselves. A small step, admittedly, but it illustrates how we think.

Many of your investments revolve around mobility. Do you think one should only engage in areas where one has expertise?

Mobility is naturally my home. Here is my passion, my network, my credibility. And it will remain a huge topic in the next decade: energy transition, electric mobility, perhaps also hydrogen. Of my 20 investments, three are on their way to becoming unicorns (investors' jargon for companies valued over a billion dollars, ed.). All three are related to mobility: Formula E, Lilium (electric air taxi), and Tier (e-scooter sharing). But I also look beyond: The food sector interests me greatly, also out of internal conviction. I am a health fanatic.

Is there a favorite project that unexpectedly became successful?

The e-scooter sector with Tier was one such story. The market is incredibly competitive, American companies pump billions into it. Initially, there were no regulations in cities, so the risk was enormous. Recently, the Japanese giant Softbank invested 250 million dollars. Tier is globally ranked 2nd in its industry and market leader in Europe. It's crazy how it has taken off in recent years. And it shows the founders' competence to be so successful in such a competitive market.

What kind of business idea or qualities can attract Nico Rosberg as an investor?

The business idea must first work and second be values-based. The potential to earn money is just as important as the potential to do good. Beyond that, I need to be on the same wavelength as the founders. They can't be stubborn and self-absorbed. Every young company will have to overhaul its business model at least once to adapt to its growth. That requires flexibility. Then I'm interested in which co-investors are already on board.

Do you see yourself as a pure investor?

No, I am also a founder. The Greentech Festival, a fair for green technologies, is my creation, and even here, we have quickly become one of the leading festivals in Europe. From Google CEO Sundar Pichai to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, high-profile figures have attended.

Are solar parks and alternative drives now better investments than tobacco and weapons?

Yes, absolutely. The hype in the investment sector is precisely such companies. And that's so cool because it will dramatically accelerate the energy transition! In the next five to ten years, the greatest returns will lie in these fields. And ultimately, "Fridays for Future" plays a role here too.

How exactly?

I know this from my personal environment: The kids of a big CEO come home from the demo on Friday and ask: "Dad, what are you doing for the climate transition? You have all the possibilities! This can't go on!" And promptly, this becomes the top topic in the board meeting the following week. One should not underestimate the power of the kids.

The kids would be stunned if suddenly Nico Rosberg, a former Formula 1 world champion, walked along at "Fridays for Future."

I've already done it! It was in Berlin, as part of my Greentech Festival. I admit, at first, I was out of my comfort zone. Then, when a nine-year-old boy stood next to me on stage, it was fascinating to feel the passion with which he was involved. It was enthusiasm like in Formula 1! I try to use my fame and my network to convey this passion to the broader public.

How do petrolheads react to a green renegade?

My father (Keke Rosberg, F1 World Champion 1982, annotation) is the ultimate petrolhead. When I got involved in Formula E, he told me straight up that I was crazy. Meanwhile, he sets an alarm for every race, that's how hooked he's become. People like him are a good indicator of how far we've come, how accepted e-mobility has become. Now we just have to convince the very last petrolhead, namely rally world champion Walter Röhrl. But we'll manage that too. (Laughs.)

What advice would you give to people who are not sure if e-mobility is right for them?

Engage with the topic and inform yourself without dogma. Not everyone has to buy an e-car. In many areas, e-mobility is now already superior to conventional options, but it always depends on personal needs. In urban areas, an e-car can already be the cheapest option over five years.

What should happen to all the beautiful old Porsches and Ferraris that are sitting in garages?

I very much hope that there will still be a place to enjoy classics. This is our history, where we come from. Maybe one day there will be a synthetic fuel that can replace gasoline. I think we need to preserve old cultural heritage. We should always look for better solutions instead of acting with bans.

Do you own an old car?

Yes, a Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing. At home in Monaco, however, I'm usually on the road with Mobee (sharing service, annotation) in my daily life, where you can rent small, electrically operated Renault Twizy that you can park in motorcycle parking spots.

What can the mobility industry learn from motorsport?

Perfection. No half measures.

And the investment world?

Speed in decision-making. Especially in politics, there's too much talk and too little decision-making. In sports, it works like this: discussion – decision. Discussion – decision. That’s a strength I bring from sports to business: I decide. I can’t stand this paralyzing fussiness, especially in large corporations.

Why does your former team boss Toto Wolff come to mind now?

Toto is a great example of a manager who makes decisions. A real leader. And he strongly emphasizes empowering his employees. He doesn’t act like a dictator but gives his people trust and responsibility. Everyone feels strong and brave – the whole company benefits from that. Empathy and recognition from the boss are very strong drivers. That’s something I also try to exemplify in my company.

In what way?

A small example: We’ve introduced complete home office, and it will remain that way even after the Corona pandemic. This allows my German employees, for example, to live with their families and not commute to Monaco or France. They feel comfortable, and this is measurable in productivity.

How will we be on the move in 2040?

We will – at least in the Western world – be predominantly completely emission-free on the move, and truly so, not just offsetting with compensation measures. Additionally, there will be mobility chains. We will have a single mobility app, a from A-to-B subscription, just like Netflix. This mobility-Netflix will provide me with the transport chain. From Berlin to Hamburg? E-scooter to the train, in Hamburg the autonomous drone will be ready for the journey to the destination slightly outside the city. In the evening, I’ll drive to the barbecue with my buddies with car-sharing.

What does that idea make you feel?

I'm looking forward to it. It will give us all great added value.

This mobility chain leads – unlike today – consistently from door to door.

Exactly. And this is where Germany as a car country needs to be alert: The power of the business model will then lie in the app, in the software. The hardware manufacturers will lose power, just like the cell phone industry did back then. German carmakers must be extremely careful not to end up like Nokia back then. I would advise them not to let the Americans or Chinese occupy the software issue, but to urgently build their own competence.

Will we be on the move as much in 2040 as we were before Covid-19?

By then, there will be another innovation that I'm really looking forward to: We will have virtual conferences with holograms. The lack of human proximity in conference calls will be virtually compensated for. But if traveling one day becomes completely emission-free, there's also nothing against being on the move as we used to. Plus, it’s fun!

How will we look back on the present?

Maybe like we look back on Formula 1 in the 1960s today. Or on a time when people drove without seat belts. We will be glad that the change came and say that it makes much more sense than back then.

Your daughters are three and five years old today. Will they still get a driver's license?

I suspect: one will, the other won't. But that’s more due to their different characters. One is more daring and brave, the other more cautious and reserved. Well, perhaps 50 percent is also an indicator of the speed of change.

What would be the equivalent of a world championship title in your career as a sustainability entrepreneur?

The impact size of all my projects. How many people I have moved and inspired with them. How much I have contributed to changing something for the better. The bar is set high with a Formula 1 title, of course, but the good news is that my career as an entrepreneur will last much longer than that as a racing driver.

The interview was conducted by Werner Jessner. It originally appeared in the print edition of INNOVATOR by The Red Bulletin. The magazine tells stories of innovative people and forward-looking ideas intended to inspire us to help shape the world of tomorrow.