The Mercedes replacement for Rosberg tops F1 testing

which are designed to go faster under new regulations. “Cars look monstrous! Drivers will be gladiators! They will be on the limit physically! Great HYPE at the moment!” he posted on Twitter. The German, who retired after securing BARCELONA: Retired world champion Nico the 2016 drivers’ championship, also posted a Rosberg was on hand to see Valtteri Bottas, his video on Twitter in which he said he did not replacement at Mercedes, set the fastest time have a single regret about his decision to quit. so far in Formula One testing ahead of the “There was not one moment when I 2017 season. thought, ‘ that should be me in that car’, so it Bottas topped the time sheets in 1 minute was interesting to realise that. And perfect,” he said.19.505seconds—thequickesttimeofthe week — using fast ultra soft tyres, covering New Formula One sports chief Ross 75 laps in the new Mercedes at Barcelona’s Brawn meanwhile would like to see a nonCircuit de Catalunya circuit. championship race for each season to allow He was almost 1.5 seconds faster teams to experiment with different formats. than Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo, who “A non-championship race would enable clocked up 48 laps on soft tyres, while us to vary the format and try something Jolyon Palmer in a Renault was third different — and evolve it,” he told Britain’s Sky fastest, just over 0.24 seconds behind Sports in an interview. Ricciardo after 51 laps on softs. Trying out new ideas or making rule Bottas put in more laps than anyone changes without tests is too much of a risk, he in the morning session on the third day of said. testing, with his time unofficially the fastest “When we change format we have to be lap seen on the circuit since its layout change very sure we have it right,” he said. in 2007. The Finn hands over to team-mate Brawn, who was behind Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton in the afternoon. domination in the Michael Schumacher era A day after Kimi Raikkonen set the fastest and had success with both Mercedes and his time, Ferrari team-mate Sebastian Vettel put own Brawn team, has been appointed the in 69 laps in the morning session on medium sport’s managing director by Liberty Media tyres, posting the fourth-fastest time. following their F1 takeover. Two-time champion Fernando Alonso was “In the long run, we need to make sure also back at the wheel of McLaren, managing more teams have the capability to compete,” 28 laps to finish eighth fastest after two days of he said. reliability problems affecting the new Honda But closer racing should not be achieved engine. “artificially and we must not penalise a team Rosberg visited the Mercedes pit lane because they are doing an exceptional job,” he and was suitably impressed by the 2017 cars added.