Nico Rosberg says Valtteri Bottas needs to build an “obsessive” presence alongside Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes if he is to challenge his teammate for the world title.
Rosberg, who won the world championship in 2016 and remains to date the only teammate to have beaten Hamilton to the title, says that pressure and instilling doubt are the only ways to gain a definite upper edge over the six-time world champion.
Last year, Bottas hit the ground running in Melbourne, defeating Hamilton fair and square. The Mercedes pair shared wins during the first four races of the 2019 season before the Briton won four races on the trot, inexorably setting up his title bid.
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Rosberg says Bottas will need to be snapping at Hamilton’s heels from the outset and shadowing his every move, from start to finish.
“Valtteri needs to always be there as a strong opponent performing with stability,” Rosberg told Auto-Hebdo.
“He needs to become obsessive, so that Lewis feels his presence.”
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