But while Nico did not need to scrabble around for sponsors like some, or
drive up and down the country in a beat-up van battling other kids to reach
the next rung, he was – and remains – a nice guy.
Personally, I think some people may have had preconceptions about him from the
start because his father has always been a little bit prickly.
You should not underestimate him, though. Nico’s team principal at Mercedes, Ross
Brawn, said recently how impressed he has been by his application, his
willingness to push himself both physically and mentally in an effort to
become a winner.
Well, he is one now. The question is whether he can go on to become a serial
winner; a world champion. If Mercedes can give him the car we will find out
soon enough. I hope they do. I know I’m a Mercedes driver in DTM, but I was
absolutely thrilled for them on Sunday.
Mercedes have not come and gone like some manufacturers; they have pumped a
lot of money into Formula One, remained committed and now they are reaping
the rewards.
It was also a great personal triumph for Ross. A lot has been said in recent
years, and deservedly so, about the genius of Adrian Newey. Ross does things
a bit differently, he comes at the car more from a mechanical point of view
than an aerodynamic one. But he, too, is brilliant at what he does. It is no
coincidence that his teams consistently find innovations and loopholes to
exploit.
The latest, of course, is the double-DRS-activated rear wing, which was
officially deemed legal by the FIA last week. With the rest of the teams
playing catch-up on that one, Mercedes’ qualifying pace looks assured. It
remains to be seen now whether they can make their tyres work in different
climates, which had been their Achilles’ heel until Sunday.
It will be a lot hotter in Bahrain this weekend. We could find out a lot more
about whether Mercedes and Nico have what it takes.