Rosberg talks up Ferrari as Mercedes’ main rivals

Nico Rosberg is unsure whether Mercedes still hold the edge over Ferrari heading into the Formula One season.

Sebastian Vettel finished quickest in the final pre-season test in Barcelona this week to ensure Ferrari set the overall pace in both tests.

The Italian team were fastest on five of the eight days of testing to raise hopes they can end Mercedes’ dominance of the sport this year.

Mercedes driver Rosberg knows the true test will come when the F1 season starts in Melbourne in a fortnight.

He said: “Of course the most important is the speed which we’re not 100 per cent sure of. We know that Ferrari is very close, so it can go either way really.

“So that’s the most important, but apart from that everything else has gone really, really well.

“Ferrari have been very quick, for sure, and all the teams have their strategists so we know what fuel all the others are running and they know our fuel so we know more or less where we are compared to Ferrari.

“That’s why I say it’s close, but we’re not sure if we are ahead or behind. I just say let’s wait two weeks.”

Rosberg finished second to team-mate Lewis Hamilton in 2015.