Rosberg expects Hamilton to break Schumacher's record

2016 world champion and former Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg has backed his old teammate Lewis Hamilton to go on and break Michaels Schumacher's record of seven world championship wins. Rosberg believes that Hamilton is driving at his very best and could well go on to set a new record in F1.

Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, Rosberg said he expected his old adversary could go on to break a previously untouchable record set by Rosberg's other Mercedes teammate, Michael Schumacher.

"It would not be quite right to call it a surprise," Rosberg explained.

"It was great because he has practically never put a foot wrong.

"I think this title could give him the right push, the motivation to try to match Schumacher's record of seven World Championships.

"He has a two-year contract. Maybe he could even beat it."

Despite arguably having the slower car for much of the season versus Ferrari, Rosberg added he was not surprised at his former team's resurgence in the title race.

"The thing is, Mercedes is a war machine. I mean the whole package: the car and Lewis Hamilton.

"In the long run its rhythm becomes incredible, to beat it you have to be perfect, and Ferrari has not been able to be perfect.

"But basically it's not even that strange. At Mercedes for five years the team is more or less always the same, at Ferrari there have been many changes. To reach the maximum you need time."