Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff advises Nico Rosberg to up his game in qualifying if he is to challenge team-mate Lewis Hamilton for the title this year.

The championship leader comfortably secured his 10th pole position of the season at Spa before dominating the Belgian Grand Prix. Meanwhile, Rosberg qualified a distant second and was forced to recover through the field when he dropped a couple of places at the start.

After claiming 11 poles to Hamilton’s seven in 2014, the German has struggled to match his rival’s one-lap pace this year and only beat him in that field during the Spanish Grand Prix weekend.

When asked where Rosberg should improve in order to prevent Hamilton from running away with the championship trophy, Wolff replied: “Get half the job done in qualifying on Saturday. That is crucial to get off the line in the lead.

“At the moment Lewis just seems on a roll. His pace [in qualifying at Spa] was incredible, his middle sector was half a second clear of everybody else and with the momentum Lewis has, he just scores the big points.”

Hamilton now has 48 career pole positions and 39 grand prix wins, including six in 11 races this year. With 28 points in hand over his team-mate, the defending champion is seemingly cruising towards a third title, but Wolff insists Rosberg remains very much in contention.

“We have seen very, very, good weekends [from Nico]. [He and Lewis] are often split by fractions, thousandths of a second and the gap is not big.

“If you’re in the same car, with the same resources, it is difficult to gain an advantage and probably this is what he finds himself to do.”

Click here for F1i's driver ratings after the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps. 

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Julien Billiotte

Recent Posts

Komatsu: F1 teams united against Audi 2026 cost-cap offset

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu has revealed that nine Formula 1 teams stand in opposition…

1 hour ago

Las Vegas GP: Hamilton leads Mercedes 1-2 in trouble-free FP1

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell led the field in a chilly but trouble-free first practice…

2 hours ago

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix Free Practice 1 - Results

Full results from Free Practice 1 for the Las Vegas Grand Prix in the United…

2 hours ago

Aston Martin says performance shortfall led to Fallows exit

Aston Martin performance director Tom McCullough has shed some light on why the team’s former…

12 hours ago

FIA clamps down on plank loophole after Red Bull complaint

The FIA has issued a pivotal Technical Directive to F1 teams ahead of this weekend’s…

13 hours ago

F1 drivers blindsided by race director Wittich’s sudden exit

The abrupt removal last week of FIA race director Niels Wittich with just three races…

14 hours ago