Nico Rosberg has admitted it was "a shock to my system" when he suddenly quit Formula 1 in the days after winning his first and only title in 2016.
The German, now 37, was missing in his role as an F1 pundit last year after declining to get vaccinated for covid.
But he is back in the paddock this year and has now been featured on the cover of the latest German edition of Men’s Health magazine.
Rosberg spoke about how he coped in the aftermath of his shock decision to retire from F1 at the age of 31 just five days after beating Lewis Hamilton to the 2016 championship.
"In a way, I’d given up my identity," he said. "Everything in my life had been racing.
"It was a shock to my system to go to zero in one fell swoop. I had never even asked myself what other passions I had. There was always only the next race.
"I had to accept that no matter what I did, I was starting again from the bottom."
As well as being a TV pundit for Formula 1, Rosberg is now active as an investor for new companies - particularly those focused on sustainable mobility.
"I also invested a lot to get to know myself," said the German, admitting his biggest challenge in his 37 years so far was "finding meaning in life".