Nico Rosberg: Race strategy crucial in determining success in Formula 1 – Formula 1 news
Mercedes GP driver Nico Rosberg has ranked race strategy as a crucial factor in determining success in Formula 1.
Rosberg thinks that the drivers and teams need to chalk out a proper plan for the race and closely manoeuvre the moves of their rivals in order to gain competitive advantage.
Speaking to Sportal.com.au, Rosberg said, “It's a bit like playing chess. It's a group of clever people in our team against a group of clever people in the other team and you just always want to be a few steps ahead of them to be able to beat them.”
From his experience as a Formula 1 driver, the 26-year-old German stated that it feels more a game of chess where every single move counts and one missed chance can cost you the game.
By comparing Formula 1 with chess, Rosberg has not only hinted at how important it is for the teams to have a proper race strategy but also the importance of having the right kind of people in the team who have the ability to come up with such an effective
plan and then making sure that it gets implemented.
He stressed that the onus lies on the team to study the track, carefully interpret the comments and reactions of other teams/drivers in coming up with a strategy that eventually turns out to be a winning strategy for the team. At the end of the day, it all
boils down to how well a driver exercises his decision making power while on the track as even a tiny fraction of a second and a slightest mistake can make a huge difference during the race.
Rosberg’s views were endorsed by Mercedes’ chief strategist James Vowles, who said, “Strategy is the understanding of the fuel that's in the car, the tyres and how they're working, the track, the track is never static, it's always changing and it's always
dynamic in terms of the grip that is giving you, as is the performance of the tyres and how it is working.”
At the recently held inaugural race of the 2011 Indian Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit, Rosberg finished at sixth position right behind his teammate Michael Schumacher. The seven-time world champion had a better race strategy as compared to
his teammate Rosberg.
The Mercedes GP team currently sits at the 4th position on the constructors’ standings for 2011 with 145 points while its drivers, Rosberg and Schumacher are at the seventh and eighth positions in the drivers’ standings respectively.
Let’s see how Rosberg performs at the upcoming Etihad Airways 2011 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which starts November 11 at the Yas Marina Circuit.
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