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

DS Penske celebrates 150th start in Formula E

Formula E
Shanghai ePrix II
DS Penske celebrates 150th start in Formula E

Red Bull investigates Verstappen’s rear wing failure, “all options open” for Spa

Formula 1
British GP
Red Bull investigates Verstappen’s rear wing failure, “all options open” for Spa

How F1's current aerodynamic battlegrounds are shaping up - and what's next in 2027

Feature
Formula 1
British GP
How F1's current aerodynamic battlegrounds are shaping up - and what's next in 2027

F1 could move away from customer power units in 2031

Formula 1
British GP
F1 could move away from customer power units in 2031

All level in British Hillclimb title fight after contrasting Harewood fortunes

National
All level in British Hillclimb title fight after contrasting Harewood fortunes

The clever electrical trick that gives Mercedes an edge in qualifying

Formula 1
British GP
The clever electrical trick that gives Mercedes an edge in qualifying

Healey horde entertains at Donington Park Equipe event

National
Healey horde entertains at Donington Park Equipe event

How IndyCar's shock silly season twist overshadowed O'Ward's return to victory lane

Feature
IndyCar
Mid-Ohio
How IndyCar's shock silly season twist overshadowed O'Ward's return to victory lane

Singapore GP the best Mercedes F1 boss Wolff has seen from Rosberg

Toto Wolff has hailed Nico Rosberg's Singapore Grand Prix weekend as the best he has seen from the German since he took charge of the Mercedes Formula 1 team

Rosberg crashed in opening practice, but was faultless thereafter, quickest in the second and third sessions and in a league of his own in qualifying to take pole by 0.531 seconds.

His margin on Saturday over team-mate Lewis Hamilton was 0.704s, although Hamilton did lose track time in practice due to hydraulic and suspension issues.

Wolff joined Mercedes in January 2013 and has since presided over 21 of Rosberg's 22 grand prix victories, and feels his latest win on Sunday is the best of that bunch.

"I have known Nico since 2013 and that is the best Nico Rosberg I have ever seen throughout the weekend since then," said Wolff.

"We have the tendency of saying Lewis has awesome pace.

"This is what we have seen with Nico this weekend - he was just blindingly fast, was [nearly] six tenths quicker than P2 in qualifying in Singapore, something we are not used to seeing at all here.

"In the same way, he drove the race, he had a great start, controlled the race, and on the contrary Lewis didn't have a clean weekend.

"He started off on the wrong foot and couldn't recover, and in Singapore if you are lacking laps in free practice and you are lacking direction where to take the set-up, it is a vicious circle. From there on it went backwards.

"Confidence is key around Singapore, and then if your team-mate gets out of the blocks in the way Nico did, it's difficult."

Hamilton headed into the summer break with a 19-point lead on the back of six consecutive wins that wiped out Rosberg's prior 43-point advantage.

However Rosberg has now won the last three races and - after Hamilton finished third to Rosberg and Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo in Singapore - now leads the championship again by eight points.

The momentum swings have been considerable, and Wolff would not be surprised if the shift reverted back in Hamilton's direction come the next race in Malaysia.

"We have the tendency of talking one up and the other down, and we have had that the last three years since the two of them have been fighting for the championship - we have seen those waves," said Wolff.

"I remember talking about Lewis's momentum a couple of weeks ago, and suddenly we have this mega Nico weekend.

"In two weeks we are going to see whether that changes or stays the same in Malaysia."

Previous article Mercedes says Hamilton and Rosberg's Singapore GP brake woes equal
Next article How Ricciardo brought the Singapore GP alive

Top Comments

Latest news