Getty Images When Mercedes finished quickest at the final pre-season test in Barcelona, the immediate response from the F1 fraternity was “could Lewis Hamilton win the world championship in 2013?” However, the driver who finished on top in Barcelona was in fact Hamilton’s teammate, Nico Rosberg. Could he be poised to involve himself in the championship race?
Since joining Mercedes in 2010, Rosberg has met some success, albeit far less than expected. His highlight came at last year’s Chinese Grand Prix, where he put the car on pole position and coasted to an easy win as the Mercedes W03 was unstoppable in the cold conditions. In Monaco, he managed to finish a strong second behind Mark Webber, and fifth place finishes in Bahrain and Singapore were also impressive.
Rosberg and Hamilton have been great friends ever since they were teammates in go-karts, so the pairing is ideal for Mercedes as there is little chance of controversy. Hamilton may be the star joining the German outfit, yet it is Rosberg who will feel ‘at home’ as he enters his fourth year with the team.
Is Rosberg capable of matching Hamilton in the same car though? His win in China was one of the most comfortable of 2012, and his pace in testing was superb. Hamilton’s time may have been set one day earlier, but the four-tenth gap between the drivers will concern the Briton. Nico has proven himself to be a race winner and a driver with enormous talent. If Mercedes can provide him with the car this year, he could challenge Hamilton for the championship, emulating his father, Keke, who won the title in 1982.
All the talk may be playing up Hamilton’s chances, and the reserved Rosberg will be happy with this. Lurking in the shadows, Nico could quieten the clamor caused by Hamilton’s arrival by winning in Melbourne, relying that Mercedes’ testing pace continues.
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Mercedes may have locked out the front row for this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix, but the team has come under fire after it was revealed that the team took part in a secret tire test at the Circuit de Catalunya following the Spanish Grand Prix. In-season testing is banned under the regulations, with teams being…
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It looks like Kasey Kahne won’t give up his Coca-Cola 600 title without a fight. The Hendrick Motorsports driver, who will start sixth tomorrow night at Charlotte Motor Speedway, continued to show why he’ll be a contender in NASCAR’s longest race by leading “Happy Hour” final practice with a lap of 188.594 miles per hour.…
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In a final, 13-lap sprint to the finish, Kyle Busch managed to stay ahead of Kasey Kahne and win the History 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway for his sixth NASCAR Nationwide Series victory of the year. Busch led 186 of 200 laps en route to his seventh NNS win in Charlotte, which broke a tie…
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For Power and Hunter-Reay, Indy win would give careers a greater boost
May 25, 2013, 6:00 PM EDT
AP
They’re the two drivers who battled down to the wire for last year’s IZOD IndyCar Series championship. One’s come out firing to start 2013, and the other has been struck by bad luck in three of four races. Yet going into tomorrow’s 97th running of the Indianapolis 500, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Will Power (pictured) are…
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SENNA, the documentary directed by Asif Kapadia and made in collaboration with the Senna family, airs tonight on the NBC Sports Network at 8 p.m. ET. SENNA premiered to widespread critical acclaim in 2010. It follows the life and career of three-time Formula One World Champion Ayrton Senna, and highlights his passion not only for…
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Reuters
Qualifying 15th may not usually be a reason to celebrate, but Giedo van der Garde is delighted to be starting so highly for tomorrow’s Monaco Grand Prix after a fine performance in today’s session. van der Garde has struggled to make much of an impact on the sport during his first five races, but the…
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Boston Marathon runners to finish race Sunday before Indy 500
May 25, 2013, 3:30 PM EDT
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Approximately 35 runners that were unable to complete the 2013 Boston Marathon due to the horrific bombings near the start/finish line will complete the distance on Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway before the beginning of the 97th Indianapolis 500. Boston Marathon participants from Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois and Michigan will run about half a…
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Fernando Alonso has written off his chances of winning the Monaco Grand Prix after qualifying 6th for the race tomorrow, struggling to match the pace of pole-sitter Nico Rosberg. “The chances of a win? Of course in Formula 1 nothing is impossible, but it’s very unlikely I think that we fight for the victory starting…
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AP
When it comes to their thoughts on becoming a four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500, Helio Castroneves (pictured, right) and Dario Franchitti (pictured, left) couldn’t be more different. Castroneves, the gregarious Brazilian that has become famous at Indy for his joyous fence-climbing victory celebrations, is clearly humbled by his accomplishments at the Brickyard. That said,…
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Two-time Monaco Grand Prix winner Mark Webber is pleased to have qualified 4th for tomorrow’s race, putting himself in a position to complete his hat-trick of victories in the principality. “Yeah I’m pretty happy with that,” the Australian driver said in a team statement. “It’s very easy to be towards the back when you have…
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McLaren’s rich history at Monaco may not be extended this weekend, but both Jenson Button and Sergio Perez are pleased to have made it through to Q3 for Formula One’s star event. Perez led the team’s charge by qualifying 7th, and although he is disappointed to have not finished any higher, the young Mexican is…
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Lewis Hamilton is delighted to have qualified on the front row for tomorrow’s Monaco Grand Prix after a difficult start to the race weekend. The British driver had felt uncomfortable with the car before qualifying, but he overcame these difficulties to finish P2 just behind teammate Nico Rosberg. “Congratulations to Nico and the team today,…
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Felipe Massa has revealed that Ferrari tried everything they could in order to repair his car for qualifying, but he is not looking forward to starting last on the grid for tomorrow’s Monaco Grand Prix. Massa suffered a huge crash in final practice on Saturday morning, causing a great deal of damage to his Ferrari…
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Nico Rosberg may have stormed to pole position in qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix but he is not expecting an easy race tomorrow. The German driver has started on pole for the last two races, yet he has failed to finish any higher than P6 on Sunday. Therefore, he is not confident that this…
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Reuters
Defending world champion Sebastian Vettel has accepted full responsibility for failing to qualify on pole position for tomorrow’s Monaco Grand Prix, having made a small error in Q3 which meant that he could not challenge Nico Rosberg at the front. The Red Bull driver finished 3rd in the final session behind Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, but he…
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Reuters
Nico Rosberg has secured his third pole position in a row during qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix on Saturday, edging out teammate Lewis Hamilton who completes an all-Mercedes front row. Despite the weather threatening to rain on Rosberg’s parade, he set a fastest time of 1:13.876 late on in Q3 to finish on top,…
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Who’s in Indy’s ‘under-the-radar’ crowd? Depends who you ask
May 25, 2013, 8:00 AM EDT
Reuters
At most Indianapolis 500s, there are distinctive tiers for the field of 33. Usually there are three or four headliners, five to seven “contenders but not favorites,” a dozen or so “they could be there if not for one thing or another,” and the rest who are there to make up the numbers. In 2013,…
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There’s no rest for the wicked in Formula One, but Ferrari are facing a particularly busy lunchtime in Monaco after Felipe Massa suffered a big crash during final practice ahead of qualifying today. The Brazilian driver crossed the start-finish line with DRS open to start a flying lap, and he appeared to lock up under…
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Formula One has been on a crusade to reduce costs for the past few seasons following the withdrawal of BMW, Toyota and Honda in 2008 and 2009, but McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh believes that the sport is currently facing a crisis. “Formula One works best in a crisis but it is a shame that…
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Nico Rosberg has continued his clean-sweep of the sessions in Monaco by finishing quickest in final practice on Saturday. The German driver’s good form from Thursday was evident once again, putting in a quickest time of 1:14.378 to edge out Romain Grosjean and Sebastian Vettel at the top of the time sheets. The session was…
