![\"Nico-Rosberg-2\"](\"https:\/\/www.racinginfocus.com\/rif\/gallery\/f1-2012-rif-images\/f1-12-drivers\/Nico-Rosberg-2.jpg\")
The German won his first grand prix in more than a hundred attempts this year in China; a breakthrough also for Mercedes after a 55-year victory drought.<\/p>\nNico Rosberg has admitted Mercedes’ is not the fastest car in 2012, but insists he is in the running for this year’s title.<\/p>\n
The German won his first grand prix in more than a hundred attempts this year in China; a breakthrough also for Mercedes after a 55-year victory drought.<\/p>\n
27-year-old Rosberg said recently that the W03 car is perhaps the fastest overall on the 2012 grid.<\/p>\n
Was he correctly quoted?<\/p>\n
“No, no.\u00a0 It’s not the fastest car,” he said in an interview with Marca newspaper, conducted with Rosberg in Spanish.<\/p>\n
“It’s a good car, and in some races it’s the fastest, and anyway we’re in a good situation.<\/p>\n
“We have to take a small step forward and then, yes, we can fight to win every race,” said Rosberg.<\/p>\n
His optimism might raise a few eyebrows, but perhaps they shouldn’t, given he is only being beaten in the drivers’ standings so far by grandees Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel.<\/p>\n
Why, then, is he not considered a real 2012 championship contender?<\/p>\n
“Because the others are with teams that have won championships, while I’m with … we are a team that is growing,” said Rosberg.<\/p>\n
“If we can win again then people will start looking at us as contenders.”<\/p>\n
The interviewer pointed out that at a team featuring multiple title winners Ross Brawn and Michael Schumacher, it is “curious” that Rosberg is the one best poised to succeed now.<\/p>\n
“Curious?” Rosberg answered.\u00a0 “I was sure that I could do well with this team, but I’m not happy to be ahead of Michael.\u00a0 He is having much less luck than me.<\/p>\n
“His car has not reached the finish line four times this year even though he is driving very well — better than the other years.”<\/p>\n
Arguably most importantly for Mercedes, however, is that the former Brawn team is now being once again regarded as a leader in F1 innovation, chiefly because of the novel F-duct system seen in 2012.<\/p>\n
But Rosberg insists that there are other “very smart things” on the W03 as well.<\/p>\n
“That’s the difference between this year and previous years,” he said.\u00a0 “Before we were copying and now we are inventing things that are working very well for us.<\/p>\n
“Ross is still very smart,” smiled Rosberg.<\/p>\n
So perhaps Mercedes and Rosberg will be fully equipped to win the championship together in 2013?<\/p>\n
“Perhaps this year,” the German smiled again.\u00a0 “We are close; we are very close.”<\/p>\n
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