“Consistency Was a Little Bit Off”: What did Nico Rosberg Think of Michael Schumacher’s Stint with Mercedes?

Back in 2018, Nico Rosberg appeared in the F1 Beyond the Grid podcast and spoke on a variety of subjects. Among them was his move to Mercedes and the prospect of partnering the legendary Michael Schumacher. He revealed that when Mercedes approached him, he committed right off the bat. However, he didn’t realise that they German outfit were planning to rope in the 7-time world champion.

The 2016 world champion confessed that he felt a little intimidated, going up against a driver of Schumacher’s status. Rosberg wondered whether he would be able to keep up with Schumacher or even beat him. It was all the more difficult, since Michael Schumacher was his childhood idol.

However, even Nico Rosberg realised that Schumacher was past his prime, aside from the occasional flash of brilliance. Rosberg noted moments like Schumacher’s pole position in Monaco 2012 and his podium in Valencia. However, he said, “There was a little bit of inconsistency, which was just a little bit off from where he used to be.”

The younger German also confessed that Schumacher was often generous towards the team and other competitors. However, he did not afford that same luxury to teammates or rivals. However, he shared data, because the team was fairly open, though he often indulged in some mind games, and it came naturally.

What else did Nico Rosberg say?

The now-retired driver also admitted that he tweaked his racing gloves to give himself a better advantage. This was largely during the Nico Rosberg-Lewis Hamilton era of pure Mercedes dominance. He confessed that he worked on the seams and patches between his fingers and the clutch paddle.

His primary objective was to make the glove as thin and light as possible. In the end, he simply had his gloves custom-made and it clearly aided in his quest for the title. Soon, teammate Hamilton also elected to adopt that. approach to the gloves and it helped his own performances as well.

However, his Formula One life is now behind him and Nico Rosberg is solely focused on being a family man. He even declared that he does not miss racing in Formula One.