• British driver has no plans to follow team-mate Nico Rosberg into retirement • Mercedes chief admits replacing German world champion will be very hard

Nico Rosberg joked he could help Lewis Hamilton learn to speak German now he has retired, while Hamilton said he hoped to remain a Formula One driver for the next decade as the duo addressed Mercedes fans at the constructor’s end-of-season event in Stuttgart.

Nico Rosberg drew the best from himself before bowing out as a F1 champion | Paul Weaver Read more

Rosberg, the newly crowned F1 champion, who clinched his maiden world title in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, stunned the sporting world on Friday by retiring with immediate effect. The 31-year-old German initially told only a handful of people – including his great rival Hamilton – before announcing his decision before the FIA’s annual prize-giving ceremony in Vienna.

On Saturday, Hamilton apologised to the onlooking crowd for his lack of German and asked: “I’m going to try a little bit of German… how do I say ‘I’m so happy to be here?’.” Once his request was translated, he added: “I have been with the Mercedes family since the age of 13 and I hope by the time it comes to my retirement that I can speak German to you.”

Rosberg, who had earlier started a rendition of Queen’s We are the Champions to the delight of his cheering audience, told Hamilton: “If you’re looking for a German teacher, call me up, as I’m looking for a job.” Hamilton was quick to reply, saying: “Nico’s the worst German teacher; he tells me all the wrong words.”

Hamilton, 31, was then asked how long he expected to continue driving an F1 car: “I plan to be here for another 10 years at least.”

Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, the four-time champion, and McLaren’s double world champion, Fernando Alonso, have been mooted as candidates, but both drivers are under contract with their teams next season. Pascal Wehrlein, a protege of the Mercedes junior driver programme, and Valtteri Bottas, of Williams, are also in the frame.

“We have to consider all options, but it will be very hard to replace him,” the Mercedes motorsport chief, Toto Wolff, said. “We will start to look at this on Monday.”