In an interview with the media yesterday, Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg believes he took a lot of positives away from Monza last weekend, despite dropping points to his team mate and championship rival Lewis Hamilton.
Rosberg saw his advantage in the standings cut to 22 points when a mistake at the first chicane cost him the race win. But despite finishing second to Hamilton, Rosberg believes it was a positive weekend as once again Mercedes had a clear advantage over their rivals.
In his interview with the media yesterday, Rosberg stated that there was a lot of positives to take away from Monza last weekend. Rosberg stated the following:-
Even though Rosberg didn’t have the weekend that he had planned, he still was able to achieve a solid result and kept his lead in the championship, even if Hamilton did manage to gain a few points on him. But Mercedes all weekend had the pace at the front once again and showed that throughout and I do believe that they will carry this pace through until the end of the season without a shadow of a doubt.
Looking ahead to the next race which is the Singapore Grand Prix next weekend, further on in his interview, Rosberg reckons fans will be in for a treat at one of F1’s showcase pieces. Rosberg added the following:-
‘Next up it’s the Singapore Grand Prix, which is definitely one of the highlights of the year. There’s an amazing atmosphere and the whole city really comes to life for the race weekend. It’s just unreal – I would really recommend anybody to go there if they can as it’s a fantastic experience. The circuit, the city, the atmosphere… everything!
‘The way they basically shut down a whole place just for Formula One is incredible and it’s amazing to think of all the work that must go into making it happen. I got my second ever podium here with P2 in 2008 and I generally enjoy street circuits, so I’m looking to go one better this time around.’
The Singapore Grand Prix as Rosberg points out is one of the highlights of the year for many drivers and also for fans too. The atmosphere that the circuit provides, never mind the track is truly special and unique and I am glad that drivers such as Rosberg truly embrace the city, the atmosphere and most importantly the circuit too.
It is nice to see Rosberg respecting and publically stating that he appreciates all the hard work that goes into hosting the event and as he points out, his track record at the event is pretty solid and appears to be up for the challenge that the track presents to him next weekend.
But overall, even though Rosberg didn’t have the weekend he wanted in Monza last week, it is clear that he has gained a lot from it. Not only did he realise that making mistakes in a race could cost him the championship, but I am sure that he has and will learn from it.
Also, he learnt that even if you make a mistake, there is always a chance to get a good and solid result from the race and that is what Rosberg achieved in Monza. And finally, even though he holds the championship lead still, you cannot discount Hamilton if he is fast enough to challenge him on the track.
And that is what Rosberg has to look out for in the next few races and ensure that he doesn’t make any more mistakes like he did in Monza because if Hamilton has the opportunity to pounce, he will do so without a second glance. But has Rosberg learnt from his mistake at Monza? Only time will tell.
