Q & A with Nico Rosberg

AUTOSPORT heard from Rosberg ahead of the second race of the season in Australia.

Q. How much of a boost was the Bahrain weekend performance, and the way it has changed people's perceptions of you?

Nico Rosberg: People's perceptions aren't really the boost to me. The boost for me is that even before Bahrain, I was feeling confident and I was expecting a strong weekend of mine. So Bahrain, as such, just confirmed it. But then again, I was actually hoping to be further up - and pretty sure that we would be further up. I was very confident going to Bahrain, so that was a little bit disappointing that we only managed fifth.

Q. Were you expecting to beat Michael there?

NR: I don't want to say that, if I was expecting that or not. I will just say that I was feeling very confident. I was sure that I would be doing a strong weekend, but whether that meant beating him or him being just in front of me I didn't know. I was sure I would do very well.

Q. Would you have been disappointed if you had been slower than a guy who had been out for many years?

NR: Yeah, okay. That is one way to turn it now. But can you be disappointed when you have the best of all time in front of you?

Q. So is that the way you view the year - you are against a guy who has done it all, so there is a lot for you to gain as he is a number one driver?

NR: For me, it is obviously a good position. If I am just behind....again it is the perception of other people. For me, it is just important that I do a great job in general. I am convinced I will do [that] the whole year, but for the perception of other people it is obviously a good position. If I am behind it is normal and if I am ahead it's great.

Q. What about the business of him changing the number three? Is that all part of the game?

NR: He is superstitious apparently, and I don't mind. He changed number. It is not a big issue.

Q. There were a lot of comments about the problems of overtaking in Bahrain. Are this year's cars less agile than last year's because of the wheelbase and weight?

NR: No, no. I don't think we have made anything worse, I just think we need to wait a little bit now. Wait and see a couple more races to see what the situation is. But for sure, running behind someone is still very difficult. That is for sure. And as soon as I got up to [Sebastian] Vettel in the last few laps, yes, he improved his pace a lot - but as soon as I got behind him it was very difficult for me to follow him.

Q. Is that worse than last year?

NR: I think it is the same.

Q. Is there an answer to it?

NR: It's very difficult. But let's wait and see. Maybe we have improved the racing with this change in the regulations, we just don't know. We have to wait and see.

Q. Is the racing more interesting for the driver because you have more things to think about?

NR: More interesting? Not really. I didn't find it very exciting the race in Bahrain from my perspective.

Q. Are you driving more conservatively because you have to look after the tyres, the fuel and the brakes?

NR: You have to. During pit stops and the first few laps you are having to look after the tyres...

Q. And is that affecting the overtaking?

NR: It could also help the overtaking. If you start getting tyre problems and different strategies, then you might see a challenge in the last laps like we did with Sebastian Vettel and Robert Kubica last year - where Vettel was on the bad tyres and Kubica on the good. That would be good for racing, and that may still come.

Q. Is Norbert Haug very involved in terms of management with you, or is that done with Ross Brawn?

NR: It is more just sticking to how it worked last year. The approach that Mercedes has taken is not to interfere too much because things have been working well, as it was last year. So they have come in with more a support and supervisory position, and help when needed. That has been working very well, to be honest. There is a good feeling and a very good integration, already, straight from the go. That is not unusual and normal. It has been good.

Q. Michael has complained about struggling with understeer - thanks to both the narrower front tyres and the characteristics of the car. Have you found a similar problem?

NR: For sure, yeah, we are driving the same car. There is a lot of understeer in some places. It is not the only problem we have, it is one of the issues and I am someone who is not able to drive very well with understeer so there is a lot of progress for both of us if the car starts to understeer less. We are trying to address that.

Q. Are there many updates for this weekend to try and get over that problem?

NR: There are a couple of things but it is not going to be so straightforward. You try to do two things - you try and bring performance and you try and help the balance. So you find the best compromise and direction.

Q. How do you get on with Michael Schumacher?

NR: I've heard so much bad stuff about being team-mates to him. To be very honest, he has been really good up until now. He is very open, very friendly - and no thoughts behind 'how can I destroy my team-mate' or something like that. So it has been a good experience until now. It has been a nice general feeling within the team as a result.

Q. Do you see him socially?

NR: Yeah. He is very relaxed. And even being in front of him all weekend in Bahrain didn't change anything. He had a very relaxed approach from both of us.

Q. And you work well together - you share data?

NR: Yes. We are a strong pairing in terms of helping the team develop and things like that because we work well together - and have similar opinions most of the time, and can help the team along well.

Q. Did you learn anything in Bahrain about where the relevant performances of the team are?

NR: We learned that we are lacking speed, but we are quite confident that we can close the gap in the next few races. I was in the factory Tuesday after Bahrain and it was quite promising with all the ideas, and the plan that they presented me to show me when the next developments are and when they are coming. That was very promising - so I am quite optimistic.

Q. Now that you have done a race, is there a difficulty to manage the fuel?

NR: It depends on your fuel tank size and your fuel efficiency I suppose, but for us we've planned well for that. It is no major concern. But of course you need to adjust for various situations.

Q. How did you feel after Bahrain when the whole world was writing what a terrible weekend Schumacher had, and nobody was saying what a great job you did?

NR: I didn't read the newspapers, so I was pleased with my efforts. I felt good, because I felt I put in a strong performance for the team - and that is what counts.

Q. Do you find it amusing or frustrating?

NR: No, because I understand it. He is the best of all time, one of the biggest comebacks in history - so it is fully understandable.

Q. Is he the best?

NR: No, one of the best. I wouldn't say the best, but for sure one of the best. It is not possible to say who was the best.

Q. Do you find yourself having to tread on eggshells all the time with what you say, as in the past you have always been quite outspoken with your opinions?

NR: Of course. It has massively gone that way for me - that I need to be so careful of what I say. Unfortunately I am not able to say any more of what I think in general, which is unfortunate but is the way it is. I can't afford bad headlines against one of the best of all times, who has a huge following and supporters.

It is not in my person to say anything, but some people, if I say what I think, they will twist it and make it look bad. So I just need to be very careful. Unfortunately that is the way it is.