Thursday, 9 April 2015

It is far too early in the season to write anyone off in the battle for the championship

(Mercedes AMG PETRONAS F1 Team)

The 2015 Formula One season is just two Grand Prix old and although he has finished on the podium in both events it has already been suggested that Mercedes AMG PETRONAS F1 Team’s Nico Rosberg’s championship challenge is already over.

However, writing Rosberg off at this incredibly early stage of the Formula One season would be a MASSIVE mistake. The German showed last season that he is just as quick as his team mate Lewis Hamilton and although the pair had their ups and downs last season Nico was gracious in defeat when Hamilton won the championship.

The fact that he lost the championship last season DOES NOT mean that he has settled to be the number two at Mercedes. The team have already stated that despite the fact that Hamilton is the reigning world champion that has no impact on the team dynamic and that both of them will remain free to race each other for the championship this season.

At this early stage of the season the momentum is with Hamilton because he took victory in the season opening Australian Grand Prix while Rosberg finished the race in second place 1.86s behind Hamilton. In Malaysia two weeks ago, Hamilton took pole position and went on to finish the race in second place behind race winner Sebastian Vettel while Rosberg finished the race in third place.

As the teams set up camp in Shanghai for this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix, Nico Rosberg is in third place in the championship on 33 points, just 10 behind team mate and current championship leader Lewis Hamilton.

The Chinese Grand Prix has been a great event for Rosberg who took his maiden Formula One victory here in 2012. 

The German will be looking for a repeat performance this weekend. However writing off any driver in the top three team’s at this stage of the season especially a driver like Nico Rosberg is a mistake after all this is Formula One where absolutely anything can happen.

© Ben Johnston 2015

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