World Champion Nico Rosberg reckons Mercedes has found a “great solution” in replacing him with Valtteri Bottas for 2017, and is intrigued as to how his successor will fare against Lewis Hamilton.
Rosberg raced for Mercedes between 2010 and 2016 and opted to retire from Formula 1 just five days after clinching his maiden title at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Mercedes ultimately recruited Valtteri Bottas from Williams and confirmed the signing of the 27-year-old on Monday.
Rosberg has stayed on as an ambassador at Mercedes and attended his first promotional event in association with watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen in Geneva on Tuesday.
“In terms of Valtteri, I saw the announcement yesterday of course,” Rosberg said on Facebook.
“It’s great news for the team and I’m happy that they found a great solution relatively quickly.
“That’s awesome, I'm sure he’s going to do a really, really good job and going to blend in well."
Rosberg, who joined Mercedes in 2010, was paired with Hamilton between 2013-16 and the duo clashed on-track on a number of occasions when the manufacturer emerged at the head of the pack.
Rosberg, having been beaten to the crown in 2014 and 2015, turned the tables on the Briton in 2016, and reckons the Bottas/Hamilton partnership will be interesting to watch.
“I’m going to be sitting in front of the TV watching the action and I look forward to see how Valtteri gets on, especially against Lewis," he commented.
“Lewis is an awesome reference point, he’s one of the best out there, one of the best of all time, it’s not going to be easy for him [Valtteri] for sure, so it’ll be interesting to follow.”
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