“They have an advantage right now” – Nico Rosberg reveals his favorite between Mercedes and Red Bull for the upcoming Imola Grand Prix.
With unanimous opinion building that Red Bull have the faster car than Mercedes this season, former Mercedes champion Nico Rosberg has placed his bets on the former for the upcoming Imola Grand Prix.
Speaking to Sky Germany, Rosberg seemed to suggest a Max Verstappen win over Lewis Hamilton but added their teammates Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas have strong potential too.
“Red Bull has the faster car at the moment, which makes it even more exciting. They have an advantage right now. Now we have to see how this superiority of Mercedes and Hamilton, how can they catch up? That’s why I think Verstappen will again have the best cards in Imola.
“For us, too, there’s no beating the excitement. You really don’t know who’s going to win. Maybe the teammates can still intervene – Bottas, Perez – they’re also very fast. Bottas has often taken pole. So I’m really looking forward to the next race weekend.”
Toto Wolff believes it is Red Bull’s to lose
Rosberg’s former boss Toto Wolff agrees with his views, calling the championship this season “Mercedes’ to win”. It remains to be seen however if Red Bull indeed is better overall and can push for a title this season, starting with the race at Imola.
“In a way, there is a feeling within the team that we very much enjoy the new circumstances. And it’s that, on paper, Red Bull is ahead with maybe all of their package. It’s theirs to lose, ours to win because when you have the quickest car, you have got to deliver on that.
“We have to catch up. We have to deploy our A-game and find more performance. But strictly speaking, we are second-best on the road.”
Also read: “Adrian Newey said that he was grateful for the power unit”– Honda on Red Bull’s new engine
