Rosberg sends staunch warning to Hamilton's rivals

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Nico Rosberg, the man who beat Lewis Hamilton to the world title in 2016, is urging the Mercedes driver's rivals to make the most of his current lull in performance, because it definitely won't last.

Hamilton and his team have yet to win a race this season as the Silver Arrows outfit fights to perform consistently on a par with Ferrari.

Sebastian Vettel delivered two successive wins for the Scuderia, in Melbourne and Bahrain, while Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo beat everyone to the flag in China.

Hamilton's worst start to his season since 2013 has left the reigning world champion nine points adrift from Vettel in the Drivers' standings, but also with more questions than answers as Mercedes struggles to understand the reasons for its relative lack of pace.

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However, the team's plight is likely temporary insists Rosberg who tips Hamilton to bounce back with bang.

"When it doesn’t go perfectly, he starts to lose that edge a little bit and a touch of motivation or whatever and then just struggles for a while," said the German.

"And those are the races you have to maximise …

"Because Lewis always comes back, and when he comes back he comes back so damn strong that he’s almost unbeatable."

Hamilton knows he has his work cut out for him, having also under-performed in China relative to team mate Valtteri Bottas.

"Obviously it's a tough battle ahead of us," he said after last weekend's Chinese Grand Prix.

"I would say on my side but also us as a team, we've been under-performing.

"I have got to try and rectify that and get myself back into normal performance mode, otherwise more valuable points will be lost."

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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.