Skip to main content

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Recommended for you

McLaren to finally trial 'Macarena-style' rear wing in Hungarian GP practice

Formula 1
Belgian GP
McLaren to finally trial 'Macarena-style' rear wing in Hungarian GP practice

Palou still unstoppable as Nashville win edges him closer to fifth IndyCar title

Feature
IndyCar
Nashville
Palou still unstoppable as Nashville win edges him closer to fifth IndyCar title

F1 juniors shine in F2 2026 title fight

FIA F2
Spa-Francorchamps
F1 juniors shine in F2 2026 title fight

Is the 2026 WRC title fight the most unpredictable in a generation?

Feature
WRC
Rally Estonia
Is the 2026 WRC title fight the most unpredictable in a generation?

The key factor as Alonso weighs up F1 future

Formula 1
The key factor as Alonso weighs up F1 future

What Red Bull's succession plans for Lambiase and Marko reveal about team's F1 future

Formula 1
Belgian GP
What Red Bull's succession plans for Lambiase and Marko reveal about team's F1 future

Mercedes "struggling to understand" Russell's deployment issues in F1 2026

Formula 1
Belgian GP
Mercedes "struggling to understand" Russell's deployment issues in F1 2026

The expectation on Aston Martin's shoulders as it prepares to debut its Hungarian GP updates

Feature
Formula 1
Belgian GP
The expectation on Aston Martin's shoulders as it prepares to debut its Hungarian GP updates

Rosberg: Copying diffusers to take time

Nico Rosberg says it will take a lot of time for rivals to try to copy the design of the rear diffusers, and the German reckons even then it is not guaranteed that they will manage to make them work properly

Rosberg's Williams team, along with Brawn GP and Toyota, got a boost on Wednesday when the FIA ruled the design of their double-decker diffusers was legal.

The decision means all teams are likely to try to copy the design, but Rosberg says the process will not be straightforward and reckons rivals will need time before they make things work.

"It will take many races for the others to attempt to make their cars work with that kind of diffuser and it's not a given that they'll be able to make it work," Rosberg told reporters in Shanghai.

"It's not a fact that they will automatically be quicker - it's not that straightforward. It will take a whole lot of time and even then you can't be sure it'll work."

The German driver believes Brawn GP, who has dominated the first two races of the season, is likely to continue to be the team to beat this year.

"A very strong chance, yeah... An extremely strong chance," said Rosberg. "The thing that must be said is that the development rate of this year's cars will be massive, because of the new rules.

"We put a part on and we'll be quicker from one weekend to the next, sometimes by two or three tenths. If you consider Brawn is maybe two tenths ahead of Toyota, that can disappear oh so quickly. Look a few months down the road and things might look a bit different."

Rosberg feels his team is at worst the fourth fastest right now.

"Brawn is quickest at the moment, then Toyota, and after that I think it's quite close between Red Bull and ourselves," said Rosberg. "It's looking quite good at the moment. I think we have an opportunity to qualify towards the front of the grid and score more good points."

Previous article Ferrari will not run KERS in China
Next article Q & A with Nico Rosberg

Top Comments

Latest news