Nico Rosberg says his strong form with Williams this season has left him convinced he is ready to get into a race-winning car next year, amid continued speculation he is heading to Brawn GP.
Although the German has remained tight-lipped about his plans for 2010, he feels that the confidence that has been generated by his strong season for Williams next year makes him fully prepared for the next step in his career.
"I am ready," he said. "I am ready to have a winning car. When you have a good season, consistent, always up there, your own confidence picks up a little bit and you just carry it on. That is just the way it goes very often."
Rosberg may not have finished on the podium so far this year, but his run of strong points results has helped enhance his reputation in the paddock.
However, he is pretty convinced that some sceptics will remain until he actually delivers the victories that he is convinced he has within him.
"I think there are still doubters, and the doubters will always be there," he said. "I definitely improved my reputation this year, but still we need to be in that winning car to really get people's perspective.
"I think my perception now is that I am a good driver from this year, but there is still something to come perception wise - which will come when I start winning races. It is just the way it is. I haven't even been on the podium this year.
"But I am very pleased with my season. I have been very consistent, always up there, scoring points maybe every race through the season, so I am pleased.
"As a team too we have done well. We are not there where we want to be, because we want to be winning races, but I am seventh in world championship at the moment and I am pretty sure to hold that position until the end of the year.
"It has been a decent season and been important to me also because my Williams contract is finished at the end of the year, so it was a very important year for me to do well in order to get the opportunity to get a good seat for next year."
Rosberg has so far refused to confirm that he is even leaving Williams, even though it now seems likely that the Grove-based outfit will sign Rubens Barrichello and Nico Hulkenberg.
When asked if he would be sad to be leaving Williams, Rosberg said: "Well I'm not going to say I am moving on, so I cannot answer that.
"Williams has been my home for sure. I have grown up at this team and been with this team for a long-long time. I started testing here in 2005, and I had tested before that for three years, so it has been a long time, and a very good time."
Speaking about his feelings on the Brawn team, Rosberg said: "I think Brawn has done very well. Not only have they come into the season very strongly, but also I think they have done well during the season. They were developing well during the season, and they still won races a few races ago and they can win races now.
"They are still amongst the fastest or the fastest on some tracks, so I think they have done well to keep the momentum going, although surely they have had a difficult time because they had to cut staff, and the budget went from a high level to a low level. That is not easy for a team. But I think they pulled through it very well."
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