Nico Rosberg has just completed his first full day of testing with Mercedes and having shared the car with team-mate Michael Schumacher yesterday, it is natural that comparisons will be made between the two German racers.
Schumacher of course has a reputation of dominating a team whilst enjoying undisputed number one status. The new Mercedes team claim that parity will be given to both drivers, but that has not stopped former Schumacher team-mate Rubens Barrichello making his feeling on the situation clear.
"Get out of there - that is the only thing I can tell him,” AP reported the Brazilian as saying. “I wish him all the best because I think he is a talented boy who can be world champion.”
Rosberg signed with Mercedes late in November and just ahead of the Christmas break, the team confirmed that Schumacher would be his team-mate. Rosberg himself is playing down Barrichello’s comments and claims he is looking forward to working with the seven-time champion.
“From his point of view, he was beaten for six years I guess so maybe from him he doesn’t surprise me that he says that,” Rosberg told Autosport. “I am confident that I can do well. I don’t have a problem. It’s going to be challenging of course because I’m up against one of the greatest of all time.”