Nico Rosberg has expressed doubts that Ferrari may not have the ability to stay ahead of Mercedes for the remainder of the 2017 Season, with it being a straight development race for the rest of the season to see which one of the two teams can come out on top in both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships.
Nico Rosberg tips Mercedes to beat Ferrari in 2017
“Ferrari did a really great job over the winter,” said Rosberg when talking to Sport Bild. “But from now on it is a development race. And I find it hard to believe that Ferrari can keep up. After Silverstone I already thought ‘That’s it now’ and was surprised to see Ferrari fight back in Hungary.
“But Spa will once again be a real Mercedes track and Ferrari is unlikely to have a chance,” added the former driver.
Despite believing that Ferrari will drop away from Mercedes in terms of performance, Rosberg praised Sebastian Vettel who currently leads the championship, stating that although the driver is susceptible to the odd emotional outburst that he is driven to win.
“We know that he does not control his emotions sometimes,” said Rosberg. “Last year we already saw that on the radio in Mexico. But this thick skin in the consequences of such an action is also a strength of Sebastian’s. In the short term and in the moment it may seem weak, but over a whole season that can actually make the difference.
“His basic character, in spite of everything else, is poised for victory, and that cannot hurt,” he added.
At this time last season, Rosberg was racing for Mercedes and was racing towards his one and only World Championship. Going into the summer break, Rosberg trailed Lewis Hamilton by 19 points, and went on to take the lead and win the championship. In 2017, only 14 points separate rivals Vettel and Hamilton, showing that everything is still to play for this season.
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