Breaking news
Formula 1
Rosberg: Bottas can annoy Hamilton a lot
Nico Rosberg believes Valtteri Bottas is better than he showed in Formula 1 last season and has backed him to be "annoying" Lewis Hamilton "quite a lot" in 2019.
Scott Mitchell
Published: Jan 29, 2019, 12:05 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Rosberg beat Hamilton to the 2016 world championship when they were teammates at Mercedes and then announced his shock retirement at the end of the year.
Mercedes signed Bottas to replace him but a solid first season, in which he won three grands prix, was followed up by a winless 2018 campaign.
Sky F1 pundit Rosberg, speaking at a day of promotional filming for the channel, believes the start of the year will be crucial to Bottas.
"Valtteri is a lot better than he's been able to show recently," Rosberg told Sky Sports News.
"With a new season starting again he has a good chance of establishing himself in a much stronger position and even really [be] annoying Lewis quite a lot.
"I think that's possible. It always depends how the season starts.
"Last year he had a lot of bad luck as well. If the luck is on his side and he starts well, it could be a whole different situation."
Bottas did help Mercedes to a fifth straight constructors' championship, while Hamilton claimed 11 victories to wrap up his fifth drivers' title.
Rosberg said F1 does not need his former team to fall back, but for others to catch up.
"It's been an amazing run but it's not necessarily time for change, it's time for renewed battles up front, and then may the best team win," he said.
"Mercedes has been the best recently. We want it to go down to the wire, we want to see real action."
Button, Rosberg eye three-way fight for F1 2019
Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel mounted a stronger title challenge against Mercedes last year but fell short thanks to errors from both parties.
Red Bull also became a regular victory threat at the end of the year and Rosberg said F1 would "love" to see Max Verstappen's team, which has switched to Honda engines for 2019, "up front and make it a three-way fight, at least".
"That would be so cool," he added. "I hope that can work out for this year.
"There's a real possibility because the regulations have changed so much in terms of the cars, and everybody had to start from scratch."
Rosberg will be joined at Sky this season by 2009 world champion Jenson Button, who will take on his first full-time pundit role.
Speaking at the same event as Rosberg, Button also backed the front-wing and aerodynamic changes for 2019 to close up the field.
"Lewis is coming off a fantastic few years but with the new regulation changes who knows what is going to happen in 2019," Button told Sky Sports News.
"There's so many changes and it's exactly what the sport needs. I think we might have three teams fighting at the front as well, hopefully we're going to see Red Bull-Honda up there.
"If we do, there'll be some fantastic fights I'm sure."
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Russian GP defends Liberty against "toothless" criticism
Next article The varied visions of F1's potential future
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Scott Mitchell
Alfa Romeo must do better in "chaotic" races - Vasseur
Formula 1
Formula 1
Alfa Romeo must do better in "chaotic" races - Vasseur
Honda: Verstappen relationship 'like a young Senna'
Formula 1
Formula 1
Honda: Verstappen relationship 'like a young Senna'
Key team personnel shouldn't be F1 boss - Ferrari
Formula 1
Formula 1
Key team personnel shouldn't be F1 boss - Ferrari
More from
Valtteri Bottas
Cadillac reveals date for F1 engine factory debut, thanks drivers for being “patient”
Formula 1
Formula 1
United States GP
Cadillac reveals date for F1 engine factory debut, thanks drivers for being “patient”
Cadillac’s F1 brakes are still a problem: ‘I had to lift and coast on lap two’
Formula 1
Formula 1
Singapore GP
Cadillac’s F1 brakes are still a problem: ‘I had to lift and coast on lap two’
You Ask The Questions: Valtteri Bottas
Formula 1
Canadian GP
You Ask The Questions: Valtteri Bottas
More from
Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton: Kimi Antonelli “deserves to be the champion”
Formula 1
Formula 1
United States GP
2 h
Lewis Hamilton: Kimi Antonelli “deserves to be the champion”
George Russell: F1 2026 season a test of "character and resilience"
Formula 1
Formula 1
United States GP
6 h
George Russell: F1 2026 season a test of "character and resilience"
Latest news
F1 United States GP live commentary and updates - FP1
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
46 min
F1 United States GP live commentary and updates - FP1
Max Papis announces departure as IndyCar chief steward
IndyCar
Indy IndyCar 59 min
Max Papis announces departure as IndyCar chief steward
Lamborghini Super Trofeo | Asia Race 2: Victory for Li/Sherlock, but Tregurtha crowned champion over Sceats/Wisniewski
Lamborghini Super Trofeo
LBST Lamborghini Super Trofeo
World Finals - Monza 2026
1 h
Lamborghini Super Trofeo | Asia Race 2: Victory for Li/Sherlock, but Tregurtha crowned champion over Sceats/Wisniewski
Rackley W.A.R. to immediately shut down NASCAR Truck Series team
NASCAR Truck
NSTR NASCAR Truck
Talladega
1 h
Rackley W.A.R. to immediately shut down NASCAR Truck Series team
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe