“No one could win with my car,” that’s the damning verdict delivered by Nico Rosberg against his Mercedes W02 which has yet to finish on the podium.
The German even admitted that finishing seventh felt like a race win, because currently, that’s all the car can achieve.
His comments came after his ninth place finish in Hungary which saw him score just two points. His previous six races have seen healthier results, but only one, the British GP, has seen him better seventh place.
“There are three teams, Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren, they are ahead,” Rosberg told El Pais. “I have to wait to get a better car. Maybe later this year or early next, I will think about winning.
“My goal [in the race] is to finish seventh. With this car, to me, seventh is like winning. We would only achieve this if I have a perfect race. It is currently the maximum today,” he admitted.
The 26-year-old is encouraged by the constant work back the factory in Brackley and acknowledged the time it takes to win in Formula 1, but he also recognised the sheer amount of development needed to put the team on a level footing with the top three teams.
“All of the team works to win and I’m sure with a bit of time we can,” he added. “Red Bull took five years [to win]. When they signed Michael [Schumacher], Ferrari had to wait another five. We hope to get there a little earlier.
“We must improve in general, aerodynamics, the mechanical factor. The engine is fine, but the blown exhaust system, which remains a very important part of aerodynamics, there is much room for improvement,” he concluded.
