While Nico Rosberg believes his now Mercedes W07 will pick up where its predecessors left off, he doesn't think it will be plain sailing for the German team as it expects to counter a massive challenge from its Ferrari rival.
"We take the opposition very seriously, especially Ferrari," Rosberg told Sky Sports as he left Silverstone following the W07's shakedown.
"For sure they are going to be a big threat, so we need to keep pushing. Who knows where they are going to be at the first race?"
Rosberg was also quick to dispel any worries about his rivalry with Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, rather underlining the fact that a driver's team mate is always his first opponent but also an ally in the need to work together for the team's best interests.
“Every year is a big challenge, and every year is a big year. It's a great opportunity at the moment, and I look forward to it.
"I look forward to this challenge of going up against Lewis again, who's been driving at an extremely high level. It's the sort of battle that I relish, that's what I do sports for, it's what I compete for. So that will be good. And let's see how it goes.
"At the moment of course we're working together because it's in our interests that the car is as good as possible, to make sure that there's no other opposition, and it's just between the two of us."
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