Long Williams stint 'not ideal' admits Rosberg

Nico Rosberg has admitted his four-year tenure at Williams was "not ideal".

Frank Williams and Nico Rosberg in 2010

Photo by: xpb.cc

At the age of 20, the German made his Formula One debut with the famous British team in 2006, leaving only for Mercedes GP four full seasons later.

This year, he will spend a third consecutive season as the great Michael Schumacher's highly respected teammate, while still looking to add a single race victory to his tally of now more than 100 Grand Prix starts.

With 20 fewer races than Rosberg on the odometer is his countryman Sebastian Vettel, who is today a back-to-back world champion and winner of 21 Grands Prix and 30 poles.

Does that annoy Rosberg?

"I have no regrets," he said in an interview with Auto Motor und Sport. "I am completely convinced it was right to go to Mercedes and to stay here."

But the German magazine's interviewer reminded Rosberg, whose father Keke won 5 races and a title within his career-span of 114 starts, that at the end of 2007 McLaren expressed interest in teaming him alongside Lewis Hamilton.

"There was the interest, but Frank (Williams) would not let me go," revealed Rosberg.

"Certainly being four years at Williams was not ideal -- it could have been a bit shorter. But particularly the last season there was a springboard for me.

"Since then I have been always seventh in the standings and made some others aware of me."