Rosberg needs a fresh start says Lauda

Mercedes F1 non-executive chairman Niki Lauda has urged Nico Rosberg to 'start from scratch' if he wishes to halt Lewis Hamilton's current victorious run.

Rosberg appeared to take his expertise to the next level last year as he fought his team mate down to the wire, but he's definitely been kept in check this season by Hamilton as the British driver reels in the triumphs.

Former triple World Champion Niki Lauda, who believes Rosberg has been over-thinking the reasons for Hamilton's advantage, has offered the German some wise advice.

"Nico has the hardest job imaginable," he told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport. "Lewis is in top form at the moment -- he makes virtually no errors and his self-confidence is boundless. But he should forget the complicated explanations and just say 'I made a mistake'. Get the ballast out of your head and do your race as though the world championship is starting from scratch every time."

As Allan McNish wrote last week in his BBC column, a dominated driver's mindset needs to be reset in order to relieve internal pressures.

"Rosberg is an intelligent guy, and that has often been a strength, but this year he is over-thinking," wrote McNish. "When that happens, you tense up, and things don't flow. It stops being natural. China was an example of him not doing quite the right thing. I don't think his comments after the race, accusing Hamilton of backing him into the Ferraris, did him any favours at all. It betrayed a weakness. There are simple things you can do to alleviate some of that pressure, and Rosberg needs to work out what they are and do them."

Lauda concluded by saying that it has now become crucial for Rosberg to break Hamilton's run of form. "Nico has to break this run from Lewis, and put him under pressure. If he beats him just once, then the other one (Hamilton) will start to think about it."

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