Nico Rosberg admits he is enjoying his “super duel” with legendary team-mate Michael Schumacher at Mercedes so far and reckons one of them could claim a podium finish in Australia next week.
Rosberg had been completely overshadowed during pre-season as the return of the seven-time world champion to Formula 1 captured the imagination of both fans and international media.
But the 24-year-old former Williams man struck the first blow in what is set to be a fascinating intra-team rivalry at the Bahrain season-opener as he outpaced his fellow German in all three practice sessions and qualifying, before finishing a place ahead of him in fifth in the race.
It marked just the second time in Schumacher’s long and glittering career that he had trailed a team-mate for an entire grand prix weekend, ex-Ferrari partner Rubens Barrichello having performed a similar ‘clean sweep’ at Interlagos in 2004.
Rosberg was naturally pleased to run ahead of the sport’s most successful ever driver in their first race alongside each other – but says he is braced for a tough season-long tussle.
“I am happy that I got to the finishing line ahead of Michael,” he is quoted as saying by Germany’s Bild newspaper.
“It is a super duel between us, which will increase further.”
Mercedes’s first race back as a team owner since 1955 proved disappointing, however, as neither Rosberg nor Schumacher could get in the fight with early pacesetters Ferrari and Red Bull at the front.
Rosberg though is confident the W01 will prove to be a more potent force at Melbourne’s Albert Park next weekend and lift the team into serious podium contention.
“The track suits us better than Bahrain,” he said.
“We want our first podium.
“I don’t think that both of us will be on the podium.
“But one of us could make it.”
