Nico Rosberg Q&A: tyre test played no role in Monaco win
Autor: Myn | Publicado: 2013-06-07T09:11:00-03:00


Nico Rosberg had a dream weekend in Monaco, topping every session before
 winning the classic street race 30 years after his father’s triumph in 
the Principality. Since then, however, his Mercedes team have been 
engulfed in the controversy surrounding their Pirelli tyre test just 
prior to the Monte Carlo round. Did the test play a role in Rosberg’s 
victory? Will it help Mercedes’ performance in Canada this weekend? An 
emphatic ‘no’ was the German driver’s answer in Montreal on Thursday, as
 he spoke exclusively to Formula1.com… Q: Nico, victory in 
Monaco was effectively winning your home Grand Prix. How emotional was 
that, having grown up there and knowing every corner of the place?Nico Rosberg:
 What can I say other than it’s my home - I’ve lived there all my life, 
so of course it is special, even though that doesn’t mean that I know 
the track any better than others. For sure I have so many memories from 
my childhood at so many spots that make up the track…Q: Can you tell us?NR:
 My school was right above the paddock. The window above our hospitality
 unit - that was my classroom so for many years I looked down to the 
paddock seeing all the drivers and cars. So winning there was awesome - 
and even more so as it is the race of the season to win. Q: Can you talk us through your race? NR:
 The start was problematic as I had a pretty bad start - and Sebastian 
(Vettel) and Lewis (Hamilton) behind me had a very good start. So it was
 tight to begin with. The next thing was to make the one-stop strategy 
work. That worked out well. But indeed it was not an easy race, with all
 the red flags and safety cars which meant quite an effort to keep the 
tyres up to temperature. That was pretty tricky and also that the rhythm
 was interrupted all the time.Q: When did you believe that you would shake the hand of HSH Price Albert as winner?NR:
 Ha, I didn’t think of Prince Albert’s hand at all! I was so focused on 
winning the race that anything that would happen after the chequered 
flag was secondary. Q: But it must have been a fantastic moment to take the trophy from him…NR:
 …and even having dinner with him in the evening. For somebody who has 
grown up in Monaco that was really something very special. Q: So if you could choose one race from the calendar that you would desperately like to win…NR:
 …it would be Monaco, no doubt. My father said there are two things to 
achieve in motorsport: winning Monaco and being world champion. So I can
 tick one off the list!Q: How crucial was starting from pole position. Is the saying that Monaco is won on the Saturday really true?NR: It is very true. If you start from pole you are halfway on the podium. So it is more than crucial - you could say it’s vital. Q: How did you treat yourself after the win?NR: Partying until breakfast with family and friends. Q: There was outcry when news broke that Mercedes did a Pirelli tyre test in between Spain and Monaco with this year’s car…NR:  Was there? Really?Q: How did you go about that? Was there ever the feeling you were participating in something that wasn’t right?NR: Oh no, not one single moment. I never expected that there would be discussions afterwards.  Q: Did those 1000-odd test kilometres contribute to the Monaco win?NR: Definitely not. Pirelli was testing tyres - that has nothing with our race performance in Monaco.Q: You were with Mercedes long before the recent, significant influx of new staff. Can you tell us what is different?NR:
 Well, there have been continuous changes since I joined the team - it 
is what happens if you build up a team. Sure, Toto (Wolff) and Niki 
(Lauda) joining is quite a change, but that is what happens if you 
restructure. Q: The team was significantly British and now there are two Austrians at the top. Is there a change in mentality?NR:
 Success is what changes one’s mentality - and in this respect we have 
been really blessed so far with many pole positions, the win and the 
podiums. This has nothing to do with any nationality but with hard work 
and determination and the will to be successful together.  Q: How about the new guy who sits in the car next to you in the garage? Is that a big change?NR:
 Yes, that’s a big, big change. It’s totally different, even though I 
knew Lewis [Hamilton] pretty well from our times together in go-karts. 
Michael [Schumacher] and Lewis - this is a completely different pair of 
shoes in their way of going about things, even if both are addicted to 
shoes! That is the only real similarity between the two. (laughs) Q:
 Can you explain what Toto means when he says that you go about things 
in a Teutonic - meaning very planned-out - way? Are the pens on your 
desk all neatly arranged in parallel? NR: I have a very 
methodical approach to things and situations. I like to think things 
over. To use everything there is to my advantage - very rationally 
planning things down to the smallest detail whenever possible.Q: Monaco is a slow circuit where preserving tyres is obviously easier - so what about Montreal?NR:
 Well, we still do have a tyre problem - that’s our main thing that is 
holding us back, and that will again be an issue this weekend. It’s a 
different downforce level here. That might mix things up a bit and 
shuffle the pecking order. Overtaking is also possible, so you have to 
be genuinely fast to succeed. Q: Will you be able to stay within range of the Monaco result? Has the car improved enough to pull it off again?NR:
 We have improved a lot on pace. We’ve been the quickest car for quite 
some time now - so that is hugely positive - but you also have to 
understand the tyres again and in this respect maybe some are ahead of 
us. Q: So give us a number…NR: Well, the last comparable race to Montreal was Barcelona, as Monaco is a completely different matter…Q: …so the Barcelona test with Pirelli could have a positive effect?NR:
 No definitely not. In terms of result, of course we want to be at the 
front again - that is the nature of racing - but to make any prediction 
in terms of positions would be unrealistic. We have to deal with the 
conditions, not just with our opponents - and the conditions could be 
really tough. One thing is for sure, after the taste of the Monaco win 
you want more of that same flavour.&nbsp;



Fonte: Formula1.com