After signing a three-year contract with Mercedes, who have won just one race
in three seasons on their return to F1, Hamilton will get behind the wheel
of the car for the first time tomorrow.
Despite the issues and the lack of running, Rosberg is confident the car is an
improvement on the one he drove last year which gave him a win in China
before a long, slow decline over the rest of the season.
“I can guarantee you it will be a big step forward, but of course everybody
else is also moving forward and we’re hoping that we’ve closed the gap,”
said Rosberg.
“Last year, at the end of the season, it was nearly more than a second. We
have to get closer, and we will.
“They have given us a good base now, and it’s up to us make the most of it
here, find all the problems as we’ve done today, and improve it.
“We need to feed back to the factory the main things that are still holding us
back, the main things they need to keep working on.
“That’s what it’s about, but it’s going in the right direction. I feel very
good, very positive.
“I can’t say if the car was quick or not, but feeling-wise I was very
comfortable, I could push, the balance was okay, and it was very enjoyable
to drive.”
Rosberg insists there will be a constant push over the course of the season,
resisting the temptation to look ahead to next year when new engine
regulations come into force.
“Definitely not, we’re fully concentrated on 2013 because we, as Mercedes,
need to make it happen this year, so it’s full speed ahead,” said Rosberg.
“Any improvement also has to be more consistent throughout the year, not like
last year when we started okay but completely fell off.
“Improvement means a very okay car through the whole season with a win or two
maybe, moving forward and thinking we are on the right track to become the
best.”