Rosberg confirmed at Mercedes
November 23, 2009 by SJ Skid
Filed under People & Events
Mercedes GP confirmed Nico Rosberg today as one of its two 2010 drivers, leaving one major question: What now is the worst-kept secret in F1?
Here’s the release:
From the 2010 season, German driver Nico Rosberg will drive for the new Mercedes team in the Formula 1 World Championship, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport announced today.
Three years after his father Keke had won the Formula 1 World Championship, Nico Rosberg, 24, was born in Wiesbaden, Germany on 27 June 1985, inheriting his racing DNA from his father.
At the age of eight, Nico Rosberg began racing karts. From 1997 until 2000, he raced for the MBM team (the talent support programme of Mercedes-Benz McLaren); with this team, the two Formula 1 partners encouraged young talents. Nico’s team-mate at that time was Lewis Hamilton, McLaren Mercedes driver since 2007 and 2008 Formula 1 World Champion.
[snip]
Nico Rosberg grew up in Germany, Monaco and at Ibiza; in addition to his mother tongue he is fluent in English, Italian and French.
Nico Rosberg: “I am really happy to be a part of the Silver Arrows re-launch in 2010 as a driver for Mercedes. No other brand in Formula 1 can look back on such a long and successful tradition in motor racing. I am very proud that I will now drive for the new Mercedes team and work with Ross Brawn. I am more motivated than ever and can hardly wait to start testing with the new Silver Arrow and for the first race of the new season at Bahrain on 14 March 2010.”
Ross Brawn, Team Principal: “We are delighted to welcome Nico Rosberg to our Mercedes team and are very much looking forward to working with him. Nico is a great talent, and with four years of experience in Formula 1, is a driver who will be able to make a valuable contribution to our team right from the outset. I had the pleasure of working with his father Keke during his Formula One career and it is great to see Nico following in his footsteps. 2009 was Nico’s best season in Formula 1 to date and we look forward to seeing his development continue with us at Mercedes next year.”
Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “I saw Nico racing karts alongside Lewis Hamilton and later in the support programme of the DTM events – I have known him since he was a young boy. Early on it was obvious that he would make his way as a race driver and we are glad that after four years with Williams he will now be one of our drivers at Mercedes. It makes our re-start even nicer, that we have as talented and sympathetic a driver as Nico in our line-up. Nico has positive ambitions, we have positive ambitions and together we want to achieve a great deal. I am really looking forward to working with him.”
Perhaps you noted the emphasis on Nico’s German heritage? It certainly seems that Mercedes GP is going for the all-German thing, which would mean Nick Heidfeld should be seen posing next to a Mercedes sedan one of these days soon.
That is, unless they can entice that “other” German guy out of retirement.
Not too much focus on Kimi Raikkonen as a possibility in the media round-ups of this news, at least as far as I’ve seen. A little, but not much.
Can anyone think of a better partner than Heidfeld?
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Hi!
“It certainly seems that Mercedes GP is going for the all-German thing”
Why? Haug has said that they didn’t plan an all-German lineup.
If Kimi is indeed selected as the other driver, the press release would be like this.
“Kimi is a big dog lover and he has a German Shepard. We are very keen to welcome the owner of the German Shepard to our team.”
How about Vettel for a Merc move? RBR contract notwithstanding?
“Can anyone think of a better partner than Heidfeld?”
Easily: KIMI!
More speed, not much talk and less whinning for sure! And he’s an established World Champion. Why on earth would Merc go for Heidi?? Because he’s german? C’mon now, that would be just plain silly when you have a guy (with balls) like Kimi on the open market. That is if Kimi wants to drive a genuine Silberpfeile after the red lawnmowers. Go for it Kimi, and kick some red latino ass for us.
i hope Kimi will be Heidfeld teammate.. ^^
GO KIMI..Go Iceman..!!!
Ooops… sorry
i hope Kimi will be Rosberg teammate.. ^^
GO KIMI..Go Iceman..!!!
I’m really pleased for Rosberg. I’ve always liked him — both as a driver and as a personality — and he deserves a genuine shot at outright success. I wish him lots of luck next season.
I don’t buy the whole “we’re an international team” schpiel form Mercedes, though. I wouldn’t be the least surprised to see them with two Germans behind the wheel. It doesn’t bother me as a fan, but that’s the vibe I got when I watched Merc run into the burning building that is F1 at the moment.
As for Kimi: I don’t think he’ll be in a Mercedes seat in 2010. Is he worth the x-million dollar/pound premium they could save by obtaining Heidfeld or Kubica (if Renault does pull out)? Both would score the points needed to bring the prize money home. But perhaps Merc would be put off Kimi for the same reason Ferrari bought him out of his contract early, and at considerable expense: there’s a big question mark over whether he would deliver value for money.
Whoever ends up in the other car, Mercedes now have their clear and undisputed Number One driver in Rosberg, and I hope it works out very well for them both!
Now that another of the Formula One’s Worst case secret is made public, I await to see how the best kept secret pans out. By the best kept secret I mean Nico and his ability. No doubt his debut race was real highlight of his 4 year stint with Williams, but I think that was the only highlight of his career. I still remember rest of 2006 while Mark Webber had technical DNFs in promising situations, Nico’s DNF were more self inflicted, I had also named him Crashberg.
2007 and 2008 were seasons, where his team-mates had him in sights and given than Willliams was not competitive, his real worth was really not exposed (in both positive and negative manner).
I hope Brawn is true to his word and the lead time he has spent on developing 2010 car results in good car. With Good Car under him and master tactician like Ross Brawn on pitwall (which is another of Williams’s stagnant area)Nico’s best kept secret should be public.
Hey all. I’m traveling so can’t edit my typo: should be “what now is the worst kept secret” – the dangers of posting during the first cup of coffee in the morning.
If they had wanted Heidfeld, they would have had the contract. To reach Heidfeld is very easy, and very cheap thing.
I don’t think so…