“May the Best Driver Win”: While Rooting for Mercedes, Nico Rosberg Refrains From Voting for Lewis Hamilton’s 8th Title

Talking about Mercedes‘ performance recently, ex-Silver Arrows driver Nico Rosberg has revealed he would love to see them fight for and win the championship next year. That being said, when it comes to Lewis Hamilton, he didn’t seem too inclined to cast a vote of confidence in terms of championship glory, per The Express UK.

Rosberg was optimistic about the Silver Arrows winning it all in 2024. “I would be happy if Mercedes won, because that’s kind of my racing family from the past,” said the 2016 world champion while discussing the upturn in pace the Brackley-based team has witnessed lately.

Naturally, if Mercedes comes back to winning ways, you’d expect Hamilton to be in the driver’s seat for that elusive 8th title. However, Rosberg doesn’t seem to agree.

“But then Lewis, I’m neutral there. I just would like a great fight for the championship, and may the best driver win. But I’m not biased in that sense, obviously.”

The W14 has been a mixed bag this season. However, Rosberg believes that the team have identified its weaknesses and are on the right developmental path. “We’ve seen flashes of brilliance from the Mercedes team just recently. They lack consistency. They still lack in straight line performance, but they are starting to understand all that,” he added. The German is confident his ex-team can win again soon.

Despite losing out to Ferrari, Nico Rosberg feels Mercedes can fight Red Bull in 2024

Mercedes and Ferrari have been locked into a monumental battle for P2 in the Constructors’ championship throughout this season. While the Silver Arrows had established a solid lead, that advantage has been narrowed down to just 4 points on the eve of the Abu Dhabi GP.

In all likelihood, Ferrari will beat them and take P2 in the championship this weekend. Despite the setback, Rosberg knows that the team can bounce back and fight for titles next year. “I believe in Mercedes ability because I was there. I know how strong they are. It’s always still the same people. So certainly there is a chance that Hamilton could once again fight for the championship next year,” he added.

The last time Red Bull and Mercedes went toe-to-toe was back in 2021. Since then, the Silver Arrows have been dethroned, and their fall from grace has been spectacular.