Despite suggestions that Merc GP could be the team to beat in Spain, Nico Rosberg has avoided making any grand predictions for this weekend's race.
Team boss Ross Brawn commented recently that: "Nico is very close to winning a race," as the young German continues to impress, having secured two podium finishes in the last two races.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner added fuel to the flames by suggesting that this weekend could be the moment when Mercedes comes to the fore.
"Writing off teams and drivers [Schumacher] that have won world championships [is a] mistake you must never make," Horner told Kicker magazine.
"Things can change very quickly. That's why Mercedes could suddenly be in front in Barcelona."
But Rosberg has downplayed suggestions that the Brackley-based squad could find themselves on the top step of the podium in Barcelona.
"It would be nice, but we must be realistic. At Mercedes we are not yet in a position to win, but in the coming weeks we should make some big steps and I'm hoping to make good progress," he told DPA.
"That [aiming for a win in Barcelona] would be expecting too much. But I do hope we can narrow the gap to Red Bull," he added.
The 24-year-old has out-paced team-mate and seven times World Champion Michael Schumacher at every race thus far this season, but while happy with his current position both in the team and on the Driver's points table, the former Williams driver is aware that there is still a long way to go in the season.
"So far I'm very pleased with how my season has gone. I am especially happy to be second in the championship. I'm happy to have been ahead of Michael so far, but it is still too early to make comparisons."
News from Formula One in the Formation Lap.
Showing posts with label Rosberg. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rosberg. Show all posts
Wednesday, 5 May 2010
Saturday, 27 February 2010
Barca Day Three: No stopping Rosberg
Nico Rosberg was the man to beat on the penultimate day of pre-season testing as the Merc GP's driver qualy style lap times put him 0.7s up on his closest rival.
With the threat of rain looming over the circuit, the drivers were quickly into action with Nico Rosberg taking the lead.
The Mercedes GP driver put in four short qualifying style runs, which consisted of an out-lap, two flying laps, and an in-lap, to post a 1:21.193. He then lowered that to a 1:20.891, a 1:20.824 and finally a 1:20.686, which was just 0.072s shy of the week's best time, which was set by Nico Hulkenberg on Friday.
Others, though, did not have as much luck - or track time - during the opening hour and a half as Jenson Button brought out the day's first red flag when his MP4-25 stopped at Turn 11 on his very first lap out of the pits.
And with the rain coming down midway through the morning, many of the drivers initially retreated to the pits before venturing out to conduct race simulations.
One drivers putting in a race sim in the wet was Rubens Barrichello. However, his run ended with his Williams beached in the gravel at Turn 5.
The hour-long lunch break gave the track some time to dry and Button, who had been slowest of all after missing the dry period in the morning, soon started working his way up the leaderboard.
The dry track also prompted Red Bull Racing to finally release Sebastian Vettel, who like Button was also quick to make his mark on the timesheets, slotting in behind the Brit in seventh place.
Felipe Massa moved up to third place in his Ferrari F10 while Vitaly Petrov took fourth place for Renault ahead of Adrian Sutil. Force India said of their driver: "Seems quite happy, says the car feels 'consistent."
Meanwhile, many of the teams turned their attention to long distance runs, which saw Button producing high 1:25s to Massa's early-1:26s. Toro Rosso's Sebastien Buemi was in the late 1:26s during his race sim while Kamui Kobayashi was in the early 1:27s.
However, once Massa had pitted for new tyres before continuing his run, the Ferrari driver dropped to the 1:22s, a similar pace to Rosberg's after he too stopped for fresh rubber.
With an hour left on the clock, Timo Glock finally completed a lap, posting a 1:31.976, which he soon whittled down to a 1:30.814. The German's lack of running on Saturday was due firstly to the weather and the team's decision to focus on pit stops in the morning and then a "leaking fuel o-ring."
Glock's first outing, though, came to an end when Rosberg came to a halt out on track. No sooner had the action resumed than Buemi stopped at the final corner.
The session restarted with 18 minutes on the clock and flurry of activity. Barrichello improved to third place while Button took fourth and then third.
And then came the day's fifth red flag, another belonging to Barrichello, which brought testing to a close for the day.
Unofficial Times
1. N. Rosberg Mercedes GP W01 1:20.686 128 laps
2. S. Buemi Toro Rosso STR5 1:21.413 +0.727 106 laps
3. J. Button McLaren MP4-25 1:21.450 +0.764 105 laps
4. R. Barrichello Williams FW32 1:21.975 +1.289 100 laps
5. F. Massa Ferrari F10 1:22.344 +1.658 115 laps
6. V. Petrov Renault R30 1:22.523 +1.837 68 laps
7. A. Sutil Force India VJM-03 1:22.606 +1.920 61 laps
8. S. Vettel Red Bull Racing RB6 1:23.123 +2.437 51 laps
9. J. Trulli Lotus F1 T127 1:25.059 +4.373 102 laps
10. K. Kobayashi Sauber C29 1:26.216 +5.530 105 laps
11. T. Glock Virgin Racing VR-01 1:26.305 +5.619 31 laps
With the threat of rain looming over the circuit, the drivers were quickly into action with Nico Rosberg taking the lead.
The Mercedes GP driver put in four short qualifying style runs, which consisted of an out-lap, two flying laps, and an in-lap, to post a 1:21.193. He then lowered that to a 1:20.891, a 1:20.824 and finally a 1:20.686, which was just 0.072s shy of the week's best time, which was set by Nico Hulkenberg on Friday.
Others, though, did not have as much luck - or track time - during the opening hour and a half as Jenson Button brought out the day's first red flag when his MP4-25 stopped at Turn 11 on his very first lap out of the pits.
And with the rain coming down midway through the morning, many of the drivers initially retreated to the pits before venturing out to conduct race simulations.
One drivers putting in a race sim in the wet was Rubens Barrichello. However, his run ended with his Williams beached in the gravel at Turn 5.
The hour-long lunch break gave the track some time to dry and Button, who had been slowest of all after missing the dry period in the morning, soon started working his way up the leaderboard.
The dry track also prompted Red Bull Racing to finally release Sebastian Vettel, who like Button was also quick to make his mark on the timesheets, slotting in behind the Brit in seventh place.
Felipe Massa moved up to third place in his Ferrari F10 while Vitaly Petrov took fourth place for Renault ahead of Adrian Sutil. Force India said of their driver: "Seems quite happy, says the car feels 'consistent."
Meanwhile, many of the teams turned their attention to long distance runs, which saw Button producing high 1:25s to Massa's early-1:26s. Toro Rosso's Sebastien Buemi was in the late 1:26s during his race sim while Kamui Kobayashi was in the early 1:27s.
However, once Massa had pitted for new tyres before continuing his run, the Ferrari driver dropped to the 1:22s, a similar pace to Rosberg's after he too stopped for fresh rubber.
With an hour left on the clock, Timo Glock finally completed a lap, posting a 1:31.976, which he soon whittled down to a 1:30.814. The German's lack of running on Saturday was due firstly to the weather and the team's decision to focus on pit stops in the morning and then a "leaking fuel o-ring."
Glock's first outing, though, came to an end when Rosberg came to a halt out on track. No sooner had the action resumed than Buemi stopped at the final corner.
The session restarted with 18 minutes on the clock and flurry of activity. Barrichello improved to third place while Button took fourth and then third.
And then came the day's fifth red flag, another belonging to Barrichello, which brought testing to a close for the day.
Unofficial Times
1. N. Rosberg Mercedes GP W01 1:20.686 128 laps
2. S. Buemi Toro Rosso STR5 1:21.413 +0.727 106 laps
3. J. Button McLaren MP4-25 1:21.450 +0.764 105 laps
4. R. Barrichello Williams FW32 1:21.975 +1.289 100 laps
5. F. Massa Ferrari F10 1:22.344 +1.658 115 laps
6. V. Petrov Renault R30 1:22.523 +1.837 68 laps
7. A. Sutil Force India VJM-03 1:22.606 +1.920 61 laps
8. S. Vettel Red Bull Racing RB6 1:23.123 +2.437 51 laps
9. J. Trulli Lotus F1 T127 1:25.059 +4.373 102 laps
10. K. Kobayashi Sauber C29 1:26.216 +5.530 105 laps
11. T. Glock Virgin Racing VR-01 1:26.305 +5.619 31 laps
Wednesday, 3 February 2010
NICO CONTINUES TEST PROGRAMME IN VALENCIA
Nico Rosberg was back at the wheel of the MGP W01 car today for his first full day of testing for the MERCEDES GP PETRONAS team. Another fine and dry day in Valencia provided ideal winter testing conditions and enabled the team to successfully work through today’s programme.
After completing the initial set-up work with the MGP W01 yesterday morning, Nico had a productive day focusing on long runs which saw him cover a race distance mileage over the course of the day. Although still not entirely comfortable with his position in the car, Nico completed 119 laps today, setting a fastest lap time of 01:12.899.
Michael Schumacher will take over from Nico tomorrow for the third and final day of this week’s test.
Nico Rosberg: “I’m very pleased with our first full day of testing and we were really able to get into the programme and achieve some good work today. We successfully completed a race distance on the car’s second day of running and I’m quite happy with how the car felt on the longer runs with heavy fuel. It felt like the same car, just a little bit slower, but the balance was good. We’ve still got some work to do on my position in the car as I dropped down by 1.5cm during the day which explains why the visibility got a little difficult towards the end but that’s something we can fix before the next test. Overall it’s been a positive start to our pre-season testing and I’m enjoying working with the team and feeling very comfortable here.”
After completing the initial set-up work with the MGP W01 yesterday morning, Nico had a productive day focusing on long runs which saw him cover a race distance mileage over the course of the day. Although still not entirely comfortable with his position in the car, Nico completed 119 laps today, setting a fastest lap time of 01:12.899.
Michael Schumacher will take over from Nico tomorrow for the third and final day of this week’s test.
Nico Rosberg: “I’m very pleased with our first full day of testing and we were really able to get into the programme and achieve some good work today. We successfully completed a race distance on the car’s second day of running and I’m quite happy with how the car felt on the longer runs with heavy fuel. It felt like the same car, just a little bit slower, but the balance was good. We’ve still got some work to do on my position in the car as I dropped down by 1.5cm during the day which explains why the visibility got a little difficult towards the end but that’s something we can fix before the next test. Overall it’s been a positive start to our pre-season testing and I’m enjoying working with the team and feeling very comfortable here.”
Monday, 23 November 2009
Rosberg signs for Mercedes GP drive
22nd November 2009
From the 2010 season, German driver Nico Rosberg will drive for the new Mercedes team in the Formula 1 World Championship, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport announced today.
From the 2010 season, German driver Nico Rosberg will drive for the new Mercedes team in the Formula 1 World Championship, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport announced today.
Q and A with Nico Rosberg
What is your aim for next year?
NR: The aim is going to be very high for me. I want to win races at least, and then we'll see. We need to wait a few months to see how the car turns out but I'm confident that we're going to have a strong package.
What does it mean to be the first German to race a Silver Arrows grand prix car in over 50 years?
NR: It's incredible. It is definitely quite a special thing. The last time a German raced a Silver Arrow was 1955, so that's a very long time ago. It's about time there was a German in a Silver Arrows again.
Nika Lauda says that you have the talent to take on and beat Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton. What is your reaction to that?
NR: It's very nice to hear that from him and I definitely believe in myself as a racing driver and I'm really looking forward to next year because for sure I'm going to have a great car and I really believe that I'm going to be able to take them on for sure.
Which of the two of them is tougher competition?
NR: That's difficult to say. We'll see next year when they are up against each other. I'm not sure. I raced against Lewis, so I can say for sure that Lewis is a great driver and Jenson is a bit more difficult for me to judge but he is certainly a fantastic driver.
Do you regard yourself as German or Finnish?
NR: I definitely regard myself as a German, quite simply because I grew up with the German culture, we spoke German at home and watched German TV. So overall I'm a German.
You said during the year that you had a lot of options for 2010. You've now signed for one of the few manufacturer teams in F1 - how important a factor was that in your decision?
NR: It was definitely a factor that was important in my decision. It's fantastic to be part of a great manufacturer like Mercedes and that together with the team that used to be Brawn GP is the best possible combination for me.
If the driver in the other car is Michael Schumacher, are you confident that you can take him on and beat him?
NR: I don't want to comment on that, sorry.
Are you surprised that the driver in the other car is not Jenson Button?
NR: It was never certain [to be]. There was a high chance that it was going to be and now it has turned out not to be. That’s just how it went. I wasn't that involved with what was going on so it was a little bit of a surprise, but not too much.
Would you like to have a German team-mate?
NR: I don't really mind who my team-mate is. It's just important that he fits well into the group so that we can attack together for Mercedes GP.
Have you already been to the factory and what do you know about next year's car?
NR: I will go to the factory on Wednesday because I also waited for the announcement to be done. I've been in contact with Ross and the engineers about next year's car to keep in touch, but I'm really going to start attacking on that front on Wednesday. I'm looking forward to visiting the factory and also there are a lot of people that I know from past years in F1 and it will be nice to see them again.
Who do you see as your main rival?
NR: I think it's best to mention teams at this point and the main rivals will most likely be Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull.
You are the first driver to be contracted by Mercedes. How far do you consider yourself a team leader?
NR: It's something that I would really like to grow into, to become a team leader. That’s what I'll be pushing to do and you achieve that by working with the team, getting the respect of the team and becoming a team leader in pushing the technical direction and also in terms of results on the track. That's something that you need to build up and I'm going to try and do that very soon.
NR: The aim is going to be very high for me. I want to win races at least, and then we'll see. We need to wait a few months to see how the car turns out but I'm confident that we're going to have a strong package.
What does it mean to be the first German to race a Silver Arrows grand prix car in over 50 years?
NR: It's incredible. It is definitely quite a special thing. The last time a German raced a Silver Arrow was 1955, so that's a very long time ago. It's about time there was a German in a Silver Arrows again.
Nika Lauda says that you have the talent to take on and beat Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton. What is your reaction to that?
NR: It's very nice to hear that from him and I definitely believe in myself as a racing driver and I'm really looking forward to next year because for sure I'm going to have a great car and I really believe that I'm going to be able to take them on for sure.
Which of the two of them is tougher competition?
NR: That's difficult to say. We'll see next year when they are up against each other. I'm not sure. I raced against Lewis, so I can say for sure that Lewis is a great driver and Jenson is a bit more difficult for me to judge but he is certainly a fantastic driver.
Do you regard yourself as German or Finnish?
NR: I definitely regard myself as a German, quite simply because I grew up with the German culture, we spoke German at home and watched German TV. So overall I'm a German.
You said during the year that you had a lot of options for 2010. You've now signed for one of the few manufacturer teams in F1 - how important a factor was that in your decision?
NR: It was definitely a factor that was important in my decision. It's fantastic to be part of a great manufacturer like Mercedes and that together with the team that used to be Brawn GP is the best possible combination for me.
If the driver in the other car is Michael Schumacher, are you confident that you can take him on and beat him?
NR: I don't want to comment on that, sorry.
Are you surprised that the driver in the other car is not Jenson Button?
NR: It was never certain [to be]. There was a high chance that it was going to be and now it has turned out not to be. That’s just how it went. I wasn't that involved with what was going on so it was a little bit of a surprise, but not too much.
Would you like to have a German team-mate?
NR: I don't really mind who my team-mate is. It's just important that he fits well into the group so that we can attack together for Mercedes GP.
Have you already been to the factory and what do you know about next year's car?
NR: I will go to the factory on Wednesday because I also waited for the announcement to be done. I've been in contact with Ross and the engineers about next year's car to keep in touch, but I'm really going to start attacking on that front on Wednesday. I'm looking forward to visiting the factory and also there are a lot of people that I know from past years in F1 and it will be nice to see them again.
Who do you see as your main rival?
NR: I think it's best to mention teams at this point and the main rivals will most likely be Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull.
You are the first driver to be contracted by Mercedes. How far do you consider yourself a team leader?
NR: It's something that I would really like to grow into, to become a team leader. That’s what I'll be pushing to do and you achieve that by working with the team, getting the respect of the team and becoming a team leader in pushing the technical direction and also in terms of results on the track. That's something that you need to build up and I'm going to try and do that very soon.
Saturday, 21 November 2009
Rosberg expects 'wins at least' in 2010
Nico Rosberg, who is expected to be confirmed as a Mercedes driver in the next few days, says he wants "to win races at least" in 2010.
The German has only raced for Williams since entering Formula 1 in 2006, and he admitted he was now looking for a different challange as well as a quicker car.
"First of all change is good I think," Rosberg told journalists during a PR event for Allianz at the Hungaroring on Friday. "I've been at Williams for four years and it's good for me to see something else.
"That will give me the opportunity to see how another team works, and also develop as a driver. And I also wanted to have the opportunity to make the next step to get a car with which I can win races.
"I'm looking forward to next year, because I'm changing teams, and I think I will have a good chance of doing well and having a very competitive car, wherever I'll be driving."
Although there are some doubts whether 2009 title rivals Red Bull and Brawn GP, soon to be transformed into a Mercedes factory team after the manufacturer bought a 75.1 per cent stake, will be able to maintain their strong form next season, Rosberg is convinced they should stay near the top.
"I am pretty sure that teams like Ferrari, McLaren, Brawn, which became Mercedes GP of course, and Red Bull will still be at the front next year," he said. "But I'm not sure who will be the fastest.
"Ferrari and McLaren [could be] because they've been there in the past and I think they can get back up there, and Brawn and Red Bull because they have done a very good job this year, and not only at the beginning, but developing through the season as well.
"They still had the fastest car at the end of the year. And they are very strong teams, with very competent people, so I'm convinced they'll be able to do it."
Rosberg admitted he found world champion Jenson Button's decision to leave Brawn GP for McLaren "a bit surprising and [an] interesting step."
Kimi Raikkonen's management has indicated that the Finn would be interested in the vacant Mercedes GP seat, and although Rosberg did not name his personal preferences, he did not deny he was interested in the identity of his team-mate.
"In some ways yes, of course," he said. "Why? It's nice to have someone you can get on with, it's nice to have someone who isn't a completely egocentric person that just thinks about himself and tries to trick the other driver, because there is lots work you have to do together."
Rosberg also talked about the important rule changes for 2010, saying the ban on refuelling after sixteen seasons was a positive step for Formula 1.
"I think one of the main things that's going to change is that everything will be safer for us drivers. Also for the people in the pitlane, the engineers, the mechanics, who are all standing there with the fuel rigs and everything," he said.
"As we saw in Brazil this year, a couple of weeks ago, one car left with a fuel hose, and it made a huge fire on the car behind with Kimi. That's a very, very dangerous situation. It's a nice step in terms of safety to be able to avoid these sorts of incidents in the future."
The German has only raced for Williams since entering Formula 1 in 2006, and he admitted he was now looking for a different challange as well as a quicker car.
"First of all change is good I think," Rosberg told journalists during a PR event for Allianz at the Hungaroring on Friday. "I've been at Williams for four years and it's good for me to see something else.
"That will give me the opportunity to see how another team works, and also develop as a driver. And I also wanted to have the opportunity to make the next step to get a car with which I can win races.
"I'm looking forward to next year, because I'm changing teams, and I think I will have a good chance of doing well and having a very competitive car, wherever I'll be driving."
Although there are some doubts whether 2009 title rivals Red Bull and Brawn GP, soon to be transformed into a Mercedes factory team after the manufacturer bought a 75.1 per cent stake, will be able to maintain their strong form next season, Rosberg is convinced they should stay near the top.
"I am pretty sure that teams like Ferrari, McLaren, Brawn, which became Mercedes GP of course, and Red Bull will still be at the front next year," he said. "But I'm not sure who will be the fastest.
"Ferrari and McLaren [could be] because they've been there in the past and I think they can get back up there, and Brawn and Red Bull because they have done a very good job this year, and not only at the beginning, but developing through the season as well.
"They still had the fastest car at the end of the year. And they are very strong teams, with very competent people, so I'm convinced they'll be able to do it."
Rosberg admitted he found world champion Jenson Button's decision to leave Brawn GP for McLaren "a bit surprising and [an] interesting step."
Kimi Raikkonen's management has indicated that the Finn would be interested in the vacant Mercedes GP seat, and although Rosberg did not name his personal preferences, he did not deny he was interested in the identity of his team-mate.
"In some ways yes, of course," he said. "Why? It's nice to have someone you can get on with, it's nice to have someone who isn't a completely egocentric person that just thinks about himself and tries to trick the other driver, because there is lots work you have to do together."
Rosberg also talked about the important rule changes for 2010, saying the ban on refuelling after sixteen seasons was a positive step for Formula 1.
"I think one of the main things that's going to change is that everything will be safer for us drivers. Also for the people in the pitlane, the engineers, the mechanics, who are all standing there with the fuel rigs and everything," he said.
"As we saw in Brazil this year, a couple of weeks ago, one car left with a fuel hose, and it made a huge fire on the car behind with Kimi. That's a very, very dangerous situation. It's a nice step in terms of safety to be able to avoid these sorts of incidents in the future."
Thursday, 29 October 2009
Rosberg confirms he will leave Williams
Nico Rosberg has confirmed he will leave the Williams team at the end of the 2009 season, after four years with the British squad.
Rosberg has been linked with a switch to the Brawn GP team for several weeks, and he has made it clear he wants to be driving a winning car in 2010.
The 24-year-old confirmed in Abu Dhabi on Thursday that he is to leave Williams after his current contract ends.
"It is my last race for Williams," said Rosberg. "And that is it really. It is a bit strange because for four or five years it is the only team I have worked with, so it has been a long time.
"I get on with everybody really well, obviously, and a lot of respect has built up - with the mechanics and everyone. So it will be quite strange to leave.
"I can also use this opportunity to thank the team, because all in all I think they have done, for my career, a lot of good. Especially Sir Frank [Williams], Adam Parr, Sam Michael and Patrick [Head], they supported my career all these years. So it is a big thank you to them."
He added: "I don't want to talk about my future. I just want to say that I won't be at Williams, because that is for sure."
Rosberg has been linked with a switch to the Brawn GP team for several weeks, and he has made it clear he wants to be driving a winning car in 2010.
The 24-year-old confirmed in Abu Dhabi on Thursday that he is to leave Williams after his current contract ends.
"It is my last race for Williams," said Rosberg. "And that is it really. It is a bit strange because for four or five years it is the only team I have worked with, so it has been a long time.
"I get on with everybody really well, obviously, and a lot of respect has built up - with the mechanics and everyone. So it will be quite strange to leave.
"I can also use this opportunity to thank the team, because all in all I think they have done, for my career, a lot of good. Especially Sir Frank [Williams], Adam Parr, Sam Michael and Patrick [Head], they supported my career all these years. So it is a big thank you to them."
He added: "I don't want to talk about my future. I just want to say that I won't be at Williams, because that is for sure."
Monday, 26 October 2009
Rosberg 'ready' for winning car
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."
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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