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Nico Rosberg said the feeling of losing the 2014 championship to team-mate Lewis Hamilton is still providing his motivation ahead of the new season.
Rosberg lost out on the title at the final round after a tense battle with Hamilton throughout the year. Rosberg says he is coming back to the grid even stronger this year and intends to avoid a repeat of 2014.
“Personally, I have focused on pushing myself even harder for the rematch with Lewis,” he said. “In the end, it comes down to who can put the best season together overall and I have to make sure it’s the other way around this time. Having said that, my team-mate is just one of many strong competitors who I have to beat if I want to be world champion, so I’m just focused on being the absolute best I can be. I now know the feeling of winning races and I intend to do a lot more of that – but I also know the feeling of not winning in the end and I don’t intend to repeat that experience. It’s a huge motivation for me and gives me even more determination for 2015.”
Rosberg is confident in Mercedes’ winter testing performance, but despite a large gap to the rest of the field he is not getting carried away.
“2014 was a really incredible season for the team and I know everyone is pushing harder than ever to do it all again. Seeing everyone at the factory is a big motivation for me. This will be my sixth year with the team and we’re getting stronger with every season. It’s great to have a group of people working alongside you who are as passionate and driven as you are. It’s up to us drivers to repay them for all their efforts and I’m determined to do them proud. We had a good winter but it’s never straightforward. You always have challenges to overcome and there’s nothing for certain, so we have to keep pushing.”
