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Rosberg wants to see a 'good internal battle' at Mercedes

It's perhaps a tall order, but Nico Rosberg is hoping Valtteri Bottas can raise his game this year at Mercedes and give Lewis Hamilton a good run for his money.

The 2016 world champion will be back in the paddock next weekend, acting as a pundit for Sky Sports in Melbourne.

Ahead of the opening round of what looks like a promising season, Rosberg offered a few pointers on how to take advantage of one specific Hamilton imperfection.

"The weakness Lewis has is a bit of inconsistency" Rosberg told Sky Sports.

"He has these periods when he is just not on it and if you are able to pounce in those periods and really make the most of it, you can keep him down for a while longer."

Bottas: The tools and the mindset to win the title

However, the German reminded Hamilton's rivals that only absolute perfection on their part will land them a chance to inflict defaet upon the four-time world champion.

"You have to make the most of it, absolutely," he added, "and Sebastian did that pretty well last year.

"When Lewis has his good weekends he is almost unbeatable, he is unbelievably fast and maybe the best guy out there.

"The only way to beat Lewis is to be one-hundred percent with everything, do the perfect season. Otherwise there is no chance."

Hamilton left Bottas in the dust for the better part of last year, the Finn finding his footing only late in the season.

Rosberg believes however the man who replaced him at the Silver Arrows outfit can pull off an upset, an exciting prospect which many hope will come to pass.

"I hope that Valtteri can be even closer this year, because last year he showed some really big flashes of brilliance but it just lacked in consistency," said Rosberg.

"I think he can do it, I think he can really ramp it up even further and get very, very close. That is what we want to see, we want to see a good internal battle there."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.