Nico Rosberg on the championship fight between Scuderia Ferrari and Mercedes. The former German F1 driver thinks Mercedes is still favourite.

Current Formula One world champions Nico Rosberg is not sure whether Scuderia Ferrari will be able to keep up the pace and challenge rivals Mercedes in the second part of the 2017 Formula One season and believes Mercedes will ultimately emerge as the winner in its fierce battle with the Maranello team.

As he sits on the sidelines watching the action, Nico Rosberg, who is currently in line for Mercedes Formula E role, offers his expert opinion on the titanic battle at the front in which he sees his former team edging out its rival, starting at the next race at Spa.

A year ago, it was the now-retired German who was en route to the world championship for Mercedes, but now he is merely watching as former teammate Lewis Hamilton pushes to catch title leader Sebastian Vettel: “Ferrari did a really great job over the winter, but from now on it is a development race. And I find it hard to believe that Ferrari can keep up. After Silverstone I already thought ‘That’s it now’ and was surprised to see Ferrari fight back in Hungary. But Spa will once again be a real Mercedes track and Ferrari is unlikely to have a chance.” – Nico Rosberg said, as reported by German weekly sports magazine published in Hamburg Sport Bild on Thursday.

However, Nico Rosberg thinks that Sebastian Vettel is Ferrari’s ace card, even though his German countryman is susceptible to the kind of “extreme” emotional outbursts as was seen in Baku and recognises that both former team mate Lewis Hamilton and Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas are up against a formidable opponent in the person of the four-time Formula One world champion: “We know that he does not control his emotions sometimes. Last year we already saw that on the radio in Mexico. But this thick skin in the consequences of such an action is also a strength of Sebastian’s,” he explained. “In the short term and in the moment it may seem weak, but over a whole season that can actually make the difference. His basic character, in spite of everything else, is poised for victory, and that cannot hurt.” – the former Formula One driver concluded.