EXCLUSIVE: Nico Rosberg ideas Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes to problem Pink Bull for the F1 title in 2024… as he hails the ‘superb’ Las Vegas Grand Prix and insists it will likely be a ‘must-see’ for the following decade

System One World Champion Nico Rosberg raved concerning the pleasure of the Las Vegas Grand Prix and even dropped a prediction for subsequent season’s outcomes.Rosberg, talking as a part of a SIXT promotion from Las Vegas, instructed DailyMail.com that the Vegas GP is the fruits of America’s newfound fascination with the game and will stay an thrilling staple of the calendar for years to return.’It is superb how the nation of the USA is embracing our sport now, which isn’t the way it was in my time,’ Rosberg mentioned on a name. ‘It is actually superb to look at and what an incredible success it has been this primary inaugural Vegas Grand Prix weekend.  ‘In fact, if you go someplace for the primary time, there’s all the time going to be some challenges, however all in all, it was probably the most thrilling races of the yr. ‘That is the important thing to each [successful race], is that it is actually entertaining, unpredictable, since you had no thought who was going to win the race.  Nico Rosberg sang the praises of the Las Vegas Grand Prix in an interview with DailyMail.com After some hiccups to begin the week, thrilling racing led to the GP being deemed a hit’It was a 3 method struggle, and between Ferrari and Pink Bull after which on the again additionally, a lot was happening. The monitor was nice for overtaking, excessive velocity. It had every part in order that even the drivers, even probably the most outspoken critic like [Max] Verstappen, grew to become an excellent fan of the Las Vegas Grand Prix by the tip of it. ‘So I believe it was one other nice success for the game. Attention-grabbing enterprise case, additionally for the game, as a result of it is the primary time that they really are the promoter themselves and it isn’t a neighborhood promoter. So that they’ve taken some huge cash within the fingers to construct up the venue, to be the promoter for the following ten years.’Rosberg additionally had excessive reward for the circuit as nicely – saying that he ran some laps on the monitor in a simulator and knew, ‘From the get go, it appeared like an superior monitor.’As a result of it is all about battles and overtaking – and we noticed that. Even the struggle for second place, altering positions there with an unbelievable daring overtake on the final lap, like two corners from the tip. That is what we wish to see. And that is fairly distinctive as a result of you do not have that usually. So I believe they nailed it with the monitor format… I believe it will be one of many nice races for the following ten years. A should see on the calendar.’Whereas Rosberg praised the monitor, he additionally acknowledged that a number of the drivers have been critics of the circuit previous to the complete race – together with Verstappen, who later did an about face and praised the grand prix after coming from behind to win.Rosberg applauded Verstappen for being, ‘so open minded that he may change his opinion in such a way and actually be satisfied in any other case, that really it is an superior race weekend.’He additionally tried explaining why Verstappen may need felt so damaging concerning the race earlier than the 5 pink lights went out. Max Verstappen initially expressed damaging views of the race, however ended up liking it in the long run Rosberg believes the off-track actions that Verstappen was doing may have gotten to him However Rosberg says that placing on a present in a spot like Vegas is all simply ‘a part of the sport”What we love to do is simply drive the race automotive. And naturally, in our job at F1, there may be a lot that we’ve to do additionally across the precise driving the race automotive. ‘Driving the race automotive is definitely just like the smallest a part of what we do and particularly all of the media work and all of the work with the sponsors. ‘In Vegas, there’s a lot sponsor work {that a} driver must do, going from one dinner look to the following, one activation to the following. ‘And we drivers, that is just like the half that we least like about our job. We all the time wish to try to reduce that as a result of it can also negatively impression our efficiency on the racetrack if we get to the precise driving and are drained or one thing, or not concentrated. ‘And that is why fairly often drivers will probably be a bit vital when it is an excessive amount of sponsor work and activation and leisure and present. Vegas, after all, was one of many largest reveals of the yr for F1. In order that’s why some drivers have been vital initially. ‘But it surely’s a part of the sport, is not it? And we earn an incredible sum of money as nicely. And it is because of the sponsors, because of the followers. So we simply all the time have to just accept that we have to dedicate a while to provide again to sponsors and provides again to followers as a result of they’re those who pay our salaries.’Rosberg tried his hand at predicting the following season as nicely – particularly since this one has lengthy been over.Whereas he mentioned that Pink Bull and Verstappen have the benefit after this dominant 2023, he identified the decreased wind tunnel growth time may damage them – permitting groups like Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes to catch up. Verstappen dominated 2023 and Rosberg admits that he and Pink Bull may do it once more However the 2016 driver’s champion likes the possibilities of his former group, MercedesIn explicit, Rosberg believes his former teammate Lewis Hamilton has the power to make a run on the World Driver’s Championship in 2024.’We have seen flashes of brilliance from the Mercedes group only in the near past. They lack consistency. However take a look at Austin. They have been difficult for the win there and really had the quickest automotive over the weekend. So we have seen that they are beginning to perceive the automotive, and so they simply have the issue that you just nonetheless lack consistency. They nonetheless lack in straight line efficiency, however they’re beginning to perceive all that.’I imagine in Mercedes skill as a result of I used to be there. I understand how sturdy they’re. It is all the time nonetheless the identical individuals. So definitely there’s a likelihood that Hamilton may as soon as once more struggle for the championship subsequent yr.’When requested if he’d be blissful if Hamilton gained an eighth world title, Rosberg replied, ‘I might be blissful if Mercedes gained, as a result of that is type of my racing household from the previous. However then Lewis, I am impartial there. ‘I simply would love an incredible struggle for the championship, and will the most effective driver win. However I am not biased in that sense, clearly.’ Specifically, Rosberg believes Lewis Hamilton has what it takes to win an eighth title Rosberg and Hamilton have been teammates – combating one another for the 2016 title up till the endIn addition to his duties as an F1 commentator, Rosberg is in Vegas to do a model activation for German high-end rental automotive firm Sixt.Two fortunate followers acquired the possibility to fly out to Vegas to look at the Grand Prix and on Monday, they strapped into certainly one of Sixt’s luxurious and excessive efficiency rental vehicles to race Rosberg on a mirrored monitor.Rosberg – who will probably be racing in an all-electric BMW I-Collection for the occasion – known as it a dream come true to collaborate with the corporate. ‘SIXT is German, similar to me. They usually’ve all the time been doing such an incredible job with their advertising, with their model, with their service, with their automotive rental, that it was all the time a dream of mine, truly, to accomplice with them. ‘However I’ve by no means managed to do it. I have been attempting since, like seven years, eight years. And so lastly it is labored out. So I am very blissful about that.’Rosberg added, ‘It is so good to do one thing good for people who find themselves mega followers of the sports activities who bear in mind my time after I was racing. [It’s] all the time good to provide one thing again in that sense.’



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