Nico Rosberg believes Valtteri Bottas is doing a “good job” of getting under Lewis Hamilton’s skin.
Last season was all about Hamilton and his bid for a fifth World title.
Not only did he win the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, a race that would have been Bottas’ were it not for a puncture late in the race, but he also won in Russia after Mercedes ordered the Finn to move over for him.
Relegated firmly to the number two role, or “wingman” as Toto Wolff called him, a wounded Bottas took the off-season to lick his wounds and vowed to come back stronger.
That’s exactly what he did.
He won the season-opening Australian Grand Prix after passing Hamilton at the start and finished some 20s up the road from his team-mate.
The duo will start this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix from the second row of the grid after Hamilton edged Bottas in qualifying.
“Valtteri is really trying to get under Lewis’ skin at the moment. He’s giving everything, and I think he’s doing a good job,” Hamilton’s former team-mate Nico Rosberg told Sky Sports F1.
“It’s always small steps at a time, and you’ve got to pull Lewis down from his high-flying confidence.
“He’s doing it, and then you start to see Lewis getting a few doubts and things like that. That’s the way to go for him.
“I think he’s done a very good job over the winter to reset.
“He sent a few messages with the beard, over the radio in Melbourne, a rather strong message, the race start, an awesome start. It’s all these things add up.
“It just gives you this momentum and the self confidence that you need.”
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