Nico Rosberg Geneva, Switzerland

Motoring

In pole position

Pit-lane gossip has Nico Rosberg tipped as favourite to spray the famous jeroboam of G.H. Mumm from the top step of the F1 podium this year.

Richard Webb speaks to the Mercedes AMG Petronas driver in Geneva

134

T

his year has seen the biggest ever set of rule changes in F1 history.

Even ice-cool German driver Nico Rosberg is not expecting an easy season. ‘The main thing will be the reliability of the cars,’ he says. ‘We can use only five engines in the whole year. Break one in the beginning of the season and you’ve got a problem further down the line. That’s going to get you into trouble. Reliability is therefore important for the whole season.’

One of the major changes is the switch to green technologies, with teams ditching the 2.4l naturally aspirated V8s in favour of tiny 1.6l V6 turbos. Racers are also limited to a measly 100 kg of petrol per race, which is only manageable thanks to energy recovery system (ERS) hybrid technology. The car’s ERS harnesses kinetic energy from braking and then redeploys it via the electric motor under

Motoring

acceleration, producing a significant 119 kW boost, albeit usable for only 33 seconds in a lap. Add to all of this the decision to award double points in the final race and it begs the question: What do all these alterations mean for the teams?

I quiz Rosberg, the 28-year-old son of 1982 F1 world champion Keke Rosberg, on how he is approaching the 2014 season.

‘First of all, it’s about being 100% physically fit and being relaxed. Then I plan on working with my team and trying to get the most out of that. It’s so complex, because everything is new,’ he says.

How does he feel about pit-lane predictions for him this year? ‘I believe we can win. We have a good chance of doing very well. It’s so early, it’s impossible to say if it really will be the case, but there is an opportunity for us to win,’ he says, nodding emphatically.

‘We can only use five engines in the whole year.

Reliability is important’ who’s who behind the wheel?

Caterham Drivers Kamui Kobayashi and Marcus Ericsson Engine Renault

Ferrari

Drivers Fernando Alonso and Kimi Räikkönen Engine Ferrari

Force India

Drivers Nico Hülkenberg and Sergio Pérez Engine Mercedes-Benz

Lotus

Drivers Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado Engine Renault

Marussia

Drivers Jules Bianchi and Max Chilton Engine Ferrari

McLaren

Drivers Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen Engine Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes

Drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton Engine Mercedes-Benz

Red Bull

Drivers Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo Engine Renault

Sauber

Drivers Adrian Sutil and Esteban Gutiérrez Engine Ferrari

Toro Rosso

Drivers Jean-Éric Vergne and Daniil Kvyat Engine Renault

Williams

Drivers Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas Engine Mercedes-Benz

137

Motoring

‘He’s the only guy with the same car, so Lewis is the only guy I can compare myself to’ change – the only constant We are now well into a season that has seen the biggest set of amendments to Formula One racing regulations for quite some time. Sound like an expert with this handy guide to what’s new

138

Power The 2.4l normally aspirated V8 engines are out and little 1.6l V6 turbo engines are in, but they still produce 447 kW, plus another boost of power from ERS (see below).

Gearbox One extra gear now gives eight forward ratios.

Energy recovery system (ERS) More power comes from the ERS, which – combined with the engine – receives energy under braking and uses waste heat from the engine’s turbocharger to boost power by another 119 kW for about 33 seconds per lap.

Fuel efficiency Previously unlimited, petrol is now capped at 100 kg per race.

Dimensions The nose height is lower, the front wings are narrower and the rear wing is shallower in profile.

Testing Teams are allowed to carry out four in-season tests of no more than two consecutive days each, which must be held at a circuit where an event has just taken place.

Points Double drivers’ and constructors’ points will be awarded at the final race of the F1 season (Abu Dhabi this year), in order to avoid a winner emerging too soon and maximise focus on the championship right until the end.

Penalties Stewards can hand out five-second penalties for minor infringements, and any driver who earns 12 penalty points during a 12-month period will have a one-race ban imposed on them.

His responses are peppered with ‘us’ and ‘we’ – not ‘me’. The Mercedes AMG Petronas technical team is the envy of the paddock, and there’s a strong sense that he knows he needs the support of every member of it in order to win. While there have been some memorable fallings-out between F1 teammates over the years (think of Williams drivers Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet), Rosberg and teammate Lewis Hamilton are still friends.

I ask if it’s important for him to be quicker than Lewis. ‘Yes, absolutely,’ he says, sitting up straight, as if irked by the question. ‘He’s the only guy with the same car, so Lewis is the only guy I can compare myself to. There’s no other comparison, because you don’t really know how quick the other cars are. You want to win races – that’s the deal.’

Keen to find out a little more about the man behind the visor, I ask him how he reconciles the brands he chooses to represent with his personal values. ‘Mercedes-Benz and watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen are among the leading brands in the world. They’re cool, they’re innovative and they represent the best technology and design. Both lead in their sectors, so for me they are the best possible brands to be connected with,’ he replies.

What are his watch and car of choice?

‘The IWC Perpetual Calendar with double moon phase, in rose gold with a white face and a brown leather strap,’ he responds without hesitation. ‘The car in my garage

Motoring

140

they said it…

‘Aerodynamics is for those who cannot manufacture good engines.’ – Enzo Ferrari ‘I don’t know driving in another way which isn’t risky. Each one has to improve himself. Each driver has its [sic] limit. My limit is a little bit further than the others’.’

– Ayrton Senna ‘The grand world we live in when we are in F1 is less important than the human relationship between us.’ – Felipe Massa ‘I don’t care what other people think, as long as I am happy. The day I die or retire, I have blown all my chances, because I don’t have the chance any more to change my image as an F1 driver.’ – Sebastian Vettel ‘To drive an F1 car, you have to be a little mad. On the morning of a race, there’s a mix of excitement and fear. If it’s a wet track, then it’s worse, as you’re not in control most of the time, which is the thing all drivers fear the most.’ – Jenson Button

photography: gallo/gettyimages, Mercedes-Benz AG

is the Mercedes SLS AMG Roadster. It’s the coolest car, seriously, and would be in my fantasy garage regardless of my connections.’

On managing the pressure of F1, he is emphatic. ‘For me, it’s as if you are going to a job interview every two weeks, to a company you really, really want to have a job with. So you manage your emotions through the experience of having done it 130 times – it gets a bit easier and you learn how to focus.’

Both Rosberg and Hamilton are at the peak of their careers, currently holding the two most desired seats in F1. And, as for the championship, if the F1-specific W05 proves reliable, we could see a straight-up fight between the Mercedes AMG Petronas drivers for the highly coveted first place.