Nico Rosberg says he did not change his approach ahead of last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix that saw him defeat Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton to secure his first win of the season.
The initial four flyaway races had been something of a mixed bag for the 2014 championship runner up. Although Rosberg had enjoyed a 100% podium-finish record, the German was yet to outqualify and outrace Hamilton.
Already 27 points adrift of the reigning champion, Rosberg knew he had to bounce back if he were to maintain his 2015 title hopes alive. But this did not mean the 29-year-old entered the Barcelona weekend with the same mindset.
“There was no different approach,” Rosberg said.
“Of course, I’m always modifying, always trying to optimise my approach, making small changes here and there, but fundamentally everything was the same.”
Rosberg’s quiet start to his campaign led some to think that he was crumbling under pressure, as highlighted by his post-Chinese Grand Prix outburst during the FIA press conference.
While he admits Lewis’ dominance was not a pleasant feeling, Rosberg claims he has always kept faith in his ability to turn things around.
“Of course, it’s a positive boost,” he replied when asked if winning at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya was crucial for his confidence. “It’s better than the opposite, for sure.
“It’s difficult when Lewis wins in a consecutive manner like he did, but I’m fully confident in my abilities and my approach, so I did believe the win was going to come very soon.
“In Spain it did. Everything came together, and it hadn’t come together until now, so the weekend was awesome.”
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