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Nico's European GP Column : 26/08/08 The European Grand Prix was an enjoyable weekend. The new Valencia street track was interesting and challenging to drive and our FW30 was reasonably competitive from the outset. To finish eighth, my first points’ finish since Turkey, was a nice reward for everyone at AT&T Williams. It was exciting to visit somewhere new, although the engineers must have felt they knew the track pretty well by the time they arrived because of all the set-up simulations they’d carried out at the factory. Overall, we felt pretty well prepared for the race, but there was still some apprehension ahead of Friday’s first practice session and I think that was the same up and down the pitlane. From a driving point of view, the track was great and I really want to congratulate the organisers for doing such a great job. Many of the corners were faster than I expected and the walls were never far away, so you had to treat the track with a lot of respect. I still managed to learn it quickly and I thought my second fastest time during Saturday’s final practice session was a reflection of the good job we did all weekend. I was pleased to make Q3 for the first time since Canada and I raced well from ninth on the grid to bring the car home eighth. The ambient temperature was more than 30 degrees on race day, which resulted in cockpit temperatures of more than 40 degrees, but the heat didn’t pose a problem to me and I was able to drive what felt like qualifying laps every lap. From here I head to Monza, where I’m testing for two days this week, before heading to Spa-Francorchamps for the Belgian Grand Prix on 7th September. I love Spa because it’s a long, flowing track with some challenging fast corners. Due to its location in the Ardennes, however, there isn’t much to do in the evenings and I won’t even be able to watch the Olympics on TV! Ah well, there’s always internet poker.. We have a few developments coming for Spa, so let’s hope that my return to the points in Valencia was the start of a series of strong finishes to end the season. See you soon, Nico

Nico visits Oceanographic center in Valencia (21/08/08) :

Der Hafenkurs (21/08/08 - Motorsport Aktuell) Von Mathias Brunner Nico Rosberg über die Chancen von Williams auf dem neuen Kurs von Valencia und über das Lernen neuer Strecken Das Aufgabenheft eines Formel-1-Piloten für einen neuen Rennkurs ist ziemlich dick. Nico Rosberg erklärt: «Es gibt so viel zu erkunden. Welche Linie ist die beste? Wie geht man mit den Randsteinen um? Wie verändert sich die Strecke? Da muss man fast Runde für Runde die kleinen Besonderheiten einer Strecke herausfinden.» Nico, wie lange dauert ein solcher Annäherungsprozess? Nico Rosberg: Ich würde sagen, in ungefähr 15 Runden sollte man die grundsätzlichsten Fragen beantwortet haben. Dann sollte man schon nahe an seinem Limit sein, selbst wenn man im Laufe des Wochenendes natürlich mehr Zeit findet. Die Meinungen gehen ein wenig auseinander, aber ist das nun ein Stadtkurs oder ist das keiner? Nico Rosberg: (schmunzelt) Es ist ein Hafenkurs! Das Layout der Strecke ist sehr schön, sie liegt wunderbar am Meer, viel mehr kann man nicht machen. Ich bin die Strecke am Computer abgefahren, das hat Spass gemacht. Welche Zeit hast du denn dabei erreicht? Nico Rosberg: 1:38,0. Mein Williams lief auf dem Computer sensationell, da ging es ab wie beim Feuerwerk! Einige finden den Kurs an gewissen Stellen etwas gar ungemütlich eng ... Nico Rosberg: Eng ist es auf Strassenkursen immer, da muss man halt eben aufpassen. Du bist seit dem Türkei-GP nicht mehr in die Punkte gefahren. Hat Williams stagniert oder haben die anderen besser entwickelt? Nico Rosberg: Es ist sicher fair zu sagen, dass wir mit dem Auto hinterher hinken. Wir haben zwar entwickelt, aber wir sind trotzdem stehengeblieben oder, schlimmer noch, wir wurden zurückgereicht. Wir haben wohl in die falsche Richtung entwickelt. Ich bin aber zuversichtlich fürs kommende Wochenende. Hier sollte es für uns besser laufen. Gleichzeitig fürchte ich, welche Fortschritte die anderen gemacht haben, sodass – selbst wenn wir konkurrenzfähiger sein sollten – das gar nicht so zum Ausdruck kommt. Worauf gründet dein Optimismus? Nico Rosberg: Der gründet auf der Tatsache, dass unser Auto in kurzen, langsamen Ecken sehr gut ist. Ich will ja nicht unhöflich sein, aber Valencia hat nicht nur kurze, langsame Kurven, sondern auch lang gezogene schnelle ... Nico Rosberg: ... die für unser Auto sehr schlecht sind, das stimmt. Aber in den langsamen Passagen lässt sich mehr Zeit gewinnen als man in den schnellen verliert. Wie sieht es mit dem Überholen aus? Nico Rosberg: Schwierig zu sagen. Mir ist einfach aufgefallen, dass die Geraden, wo man sich eigentlich an den Gegner heransaugen sollte, leicht gebogen sind. Das dürfte nicht ganz so einfach werden. Was liegt drin? Nico Rosberg: Ein Platz in den Top-Ten im Qualifying und dann Punkte im Rennen. Es gibt Fahrer, die sind auf Strassenkursen einfach eine Klasse besser als auf herkömmlichen Strecken. Wo würdest du dich da positionieren? Nico Rosberg: (lacht) Ich würde gerne überall eine Klasse besser fahren! Als expliziten Strassenkurs-Spezialisten würde ich mich jedenfalls nicht bezeichnen. Ist es eine grosse Umstellung für einen Piloten, wenn man von den normalen Strecken diese Weite gewöhnt ist und auf einmal fährt man in einem Betonkanal? Nico Rosberg: Ich finde nicht, nein. Du hast schon nicht dieses Tunnelgefühl, weil du ja nicht nach links oder rechts schaust, sondern weit nach vorne. Die neuen Kurse von Valencia und Singapur sind beide Stadt-Strecken. Ist das ein Trend, den du befürwortest? Nico Rosberg: Wenn die Sicherheit gewährleistet ist, dann ja. Und das scheint hier der Fall zu sein. Und damit meine ich jetzt eher das Fahren, wenn du alleine bist, also wenn du einen technischen Defekt erleidest. Wir reden da von Auslaufzonen und Altreifen. Das Fahren in der Gruppe ist auf jedem Kurs gefährlich. Über Singapur kann ich noch zu wenig sagen. Worin besteht dein Ziel für die ausstehenden Rennen? Nico Rosberg: Das wird sich zwar jetzt ein wenig traurig anhören, aber ich möchte schon noch ein paar Mal Punkte holen. This is the link :

GPF1 Valencia 2008 : (21/08/08)

GPF1 Europa 2008 : (20/08/08)

Thank you Saki for these beautiful pics !

Thank you Saki !

GPF1 Monaco 2008 :

12/08/08 - 16h06 : Nico relishing 'big' Valencia challenge Nico Rosberg believes drivers face a “big challenge” to quickly get up to speed on the new Valencia street circuit next week – creating the possibility of a more unpredictable weekend. Formula 1 drivers will get a first look at the eagerly anticipated new harbourside venue next Thursday when they walk the 3.4-mile track with their engineers, before driving it the next day in practice. Rosberg thinks the unknown elements should therefore ensure everything is set up for an exciting inaugural grand prix. "That is going to be a really interesting race for sure,” he said in Williams’s latest podcast. “Everybody is starting from zero more or less with the track, the set-up and everything so it is going to be really cool I think. Some teams like Williams have been able to simulate the 25-corner track on its in-house simulator to gives its drivers a feel for the characteristics of the circuit. Still, Rosberg says the learning experience will really begin in Friday practice and that staying out of the walls in these sessions will be crucial if you are to enjoy a strong weekend. “On a street circuit the problem is there is no grip at the beginning,” he said. He added that while he would study TV footage from some of the first races at the circuit, some of the initial set-up work would be a stab in the dark. “I’m going to watch the on-board from some of the GT racing and things like that to get a good idea of the track, but it is then really taking a guess on the set-up and comparing to other street circuits like Monaco,” Rosberg said. “Then from there you just have to take it step by step through the weekend.” Williams’s chief operations engineer Rod Nelson added that the virtual simulations had allowed the team to make some initial set-up decisions, which will be built on as the weekend progresses. “We started doing some initial mapping of the circuit several months ago, from architect plans and FIA information that we were given,” he told the podcast. “So we do a rough map of the circuit and then we run our simulation around it to see things like aero levels and look at the potential for high brake wear or what kind of demands the circuit will put on the tyres. This is the link : Nico relishing big Valencia challenge

12/08/08 : Rosberg confirms he's staying at Williams Nico Rosberg has confirmed he will remain at Williams in 2009, however, his long-term future has yet to be decided. Although Williams have often stated that Rosberg is not for sale, the German has been tipped to switch allegiance to either BMW or McLaren in the future. That move, though, won't be happening at the end of this year as the 23-year-old has confirmed he is contracted to Williams for the 2009 season. However, he admits that campaign could be his last with the Grove outfit. "The future is here. Well, next year. Then we'll see," Rosberg told GPWeek. "I feel very comfortable at the team. Of course I feel good. I've been with the team a long time, I get on with everybody so it's very nice. Just the car isn't fast enough." And a faster car is what Rosberg will need if he hopes to follow in his father Keke's footsteps by winning a Drivers' Championship title. Asked whether he believed Williams could provide him with what he needs to win a title, the German said: "I don't really want to answer that at the moment. Rosberg is currently 13th in the Drivers' Championship having bagged eight points, including a podium finish in the season-opening Australian GP.

12/08/08 - Bild.de : Hier macht der Schumi-Doc Nico Rosberg fit Von PETER HECK und JOACHIM STORCH Der junge Mann tritt kräftig in die Pedale seines Mountainbikes. Über drei Stunden geht es in den Schweizer Alpen hoch über Arosa bergauf und bergab. Nico Rosberg (22) nutzt die Pause in der Formel 1 zu einem brutal harten Höhentraining – damit er noch besser wird. Fünf Tage wohnten Nico und seine Betreuer aus der Sportklinik Bad Nauheim in 1835 Meter Höhe. Das „Kulm Hotel“ bietet Fünf-Sterne-Luxus – aber davon hatte der Formel-1-Star wenig. Ein genau dosierter Trainingsplan sorgte dafür, dass er abends todmüde ins Bett fiel. Dr. Johannes Peil, der nach Michael Schumacher jetzt Nico Rosberg und Timo Glock medizinisch betreut: „In der Höhe braucht man mehr Leistung, um das Gleiche zu erreichen. Man kann also viel Leistung bolzen, ohne den Bewegungsapparat mehr zu belasten.“ Für Nico hieß das an einem Tag „Höhen-Triathlon“: Dreieinhalb Stunden auf dem Bike, eine halbe Stunde schwimmen in einem Alpensee und danach noch ein 90-Minuten-Berglauf. Und auch Nervenkitzel kam nicht zu kurz: Nach einem Aufstieg von über einer Stunde wurde mit Bergführer Felix geklettert, danach in einem eiskalten Bergsee gebadet. Nico, der bisher nur in Indoor-Hallen geklettert war: „Ich bin total begeistert!“ Sein Arzt auch. Die Belastungs-Tests und Laborwerte, die vor und nach dem Höhentraining genommen wurden, zeigten, dass Nico topfit ist – für seinen Angriff in der Formel 1. This is the link : You'll find many pics !

GPF1 Hungary 2008 : Nico's Hungarian GP Column : 5 August 08 All in all, we had a disappointing weekend in Hungary. I expected the FW30 to be more competitive at the Hungaroring than it was at Hockenheim, Silverstone or Magny Cours, but I wasn’t able to show the car’s true potential due to a frustrating series of incidents. We made a lot of progress with the set-up of the car on Friday and I ended the day in 10th place, which is where I thought I’d qualify on Saturday. That didn’t materialise because a hydraulic problem stopped me completing a lap in Q2, so I had to line up 14th on the grid. Prior to the race I analysed previous starts in Hungary and decided that the inside of the track was the best position to be in on the approach to Turn 1. That’s what I did, but Jenson Button braked really early ahead of me and I lost a couple of places as a result. I made my first pitstop on lap 30, but a re-fuelling problem cost me a couple of seconds and I emerged behind Giancarlo Fisichella’s Force India, which ruined the rest of my race. I used only eight tenths of the car’s potential while behind Fisi, but it’s so hard to pass at the Hungaroring that I couldn’t overtake and spent the whole of the middle stint stuck behind him. I eventually got ahead at my second pitstop and finished 14th. It’s now the three-week summer break and I hope that everyone in the AT&T Williams race team manages to have a few days off ahead of the final seven races of the year. I’m heading into the Alps for some high altitude training, which I’m looking forward to. We have a tough programme of physical training planned, but I love being in the mountains during the summer because they are so beautiful. I’ll then head to the factory during the week prior to the European Grand Prix to begin my preparations for the race. It’s always exciting to go to a new racetrack and from the drawings that I’ve seen of Valencia it looks like an interesting layout. There are a couple of long straights that should see us reaching speeds of 190mph, which could make the circuit quite tough on brakes – a bit like Montreal. Given that no-one has any prior experience of the track, it will be interesting to see which team-driver combinations learn the track fastest. Being a street circuit, I’ll build up my pace throughout Friday practice because the walls will be unforgiving and the track surface will get quicker as more rubber goes down, so it will be hard to know how much grip is available. I haven’t scored any points since the Turkish Grand Prix at the beginning of May and I’m hungry for more. Valencia would be a good place to add to my tally. See you in a few weeks, Nico

14/01/08 : Testing to Jerez

Thank you Saki for the pics and the video !

No, she's a fan ! Gabi is always his girlfriend !

There are two addresses to retain if you like Nico : Congratulations to La Nena de Nico Rosberg ! Nico Rosberg Fan Club Forum by La Nena de Nico Rosberg

GPF1 Hungary 2008 :

Match at Florian Albert Stadium of Budapest : 30/07/08

Hungarian preview : GPF1 Hungary 2008 (1-3/08/08) Qualifying the key for Williams Hungarian GP - Williams Toyota - Preview Round 11 of the Championship and the final race prior to the traditional three week August summer break takes Formula One to the cultural hotspot of Budapest this weekend for the Hungarian Grand Prix. In 1986, Hungary became the first Eastern European country to host a Grand Prix and has remained a permanent fixture on the calendar ever since. Over its 22 race history, the Hungaroring has provided the backdrop for a host of dramatic racing outcomes and, with the competition so fierce throughout the field, Formula One’s fans should be in for another thrilling Grand Prix this weekend. For Williams, Nico Rosberg will be chasing his first points paying finish since Monaco, while Nakajima is looking to add to his tally of lower points paying finishes in recent events. Nico Rosberg : "Hungary is a very different track to the ones we’ve been racing at over the past few Grand Prix. It has a similar layout to Monaco, a circuit which suited our car, and is a track which really requires a different set-up direction to that which we’ve run at the past few races, so Hungary should be a better race for us. We did a good job in qualifying there last year and we then went well in the race, so I think we can look forward to a good weekend. It’s always very hot at Budapest, which can make it really tough, but it’s never a problem for me." video : Grand Prix Insights Hungary 2008

Happy birthday to him !