We are ready to beat Red Bull next season, says Nico Rosberg

Nico Rosberg

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg has said that his team’s improvement this season will be a launching pad for beating Red Bull in the 2014 season.

Mercedes, who had an average season in 2012, came back strongly in this season and finished second in the constructors’ championship with 236 points behind eventual winners, Red Bull.

“We’ve made massive progress and really everybody believes that this team can do it and beat Red Bull. We’ve shown we have such competence now and such a great car after making a massive step over the winter. There’s this momentum now and everybody in the team believes that we can make it happen, not that we didn’t before but we have the facts to back it up now,” Rosberg said.

Rosberg also said that the change of engines and the rules will be the perfect opportunity for the team to outclass Red Bull.

“I’m looking forward to it a lot. It’s a great opportunity for us to close that gap to Red Bull and make a big step. It’s a great opportunity not only for the car but also the engine and getting it together is a massive mission for everybody. But I think we’re ready for such a mission and it’s good that it didn’t come a year before because that would not have been so good. It’s the right moment and we’re ready for it,” he said.

“Also, from a driver’s perspective I’m very happy that there are so many big changes coming because I really enjoy the whole technical side to it – I can nearly call it a passion because I’m really interested in it and I like to get the most out of it. I hope that maybe I can pull out a bit of an advantage from all these changes that are coming,” he added.