Rosberg Excited with Schumacher as Teammate, Refuses No. 2 Role

Germany will have a dream team inside Formula One for the upcoming few seasons, just as McLaren secured their British fans an all-Englishman lineup for the next 3 years. Nico Rosberg was officially joined in the Mercedes GP lineup by 7-time world champion Michael Schumacher, as the announcement was made during a press conference earlier today.

Having Schumacher as a teammate is never easy, as past experiences have taught us that the German driver, when managed by Ross Brawn (as the scenario repeats itself at Brackley), doesn't have so much as teammates in Formula One, but rather lieutenants. The cases of Eddie Irvine and Rubens Barrichello speak for themselves.

However, when hearing about the news, the son of former F1 champion Keke Rosberg was not disappointed with the announcement, but rather enthused with the prospect of driving alongside the sports' most successful driver in history. Instead of looking at it from a lieutenant point of view, Rosberg will take the next 3 years as a new challenge.

“It is fantastic that Michael is returning to Formula 1 and will be my team-mate at Mercedes GP. It's a great challenge for me to be up against one of the best drivers of all time. I'm sure that we will form a very strong partnership as he will have lost none of his speed. It is also great news for our sport and the fans,” said Rosberg.

Before Schu was confirmed by Mercedes on Tuesday, Rosberg told the media that he won't accept the No 2 status within the Mercedes GP team for nothing in the world, even if Schumacher will join the outfit in 2010.

“Me a number two? No. But I respect Schumi a lot. At Mercedes there is not hierarchy. It has always been known that the two drivers are equal,” said Rosberg less than a week ago, according to the Bild newpaper.

After struggling to find the funds to end the 2009 campaign in style, Ross Brawn cannot be more delighted than this. After securing the factory support of German constructor Mercedes-Benz, Brawn signed two outstanding drivers for the 2010 campaign and will now have many “weapons” to use to defend both world titles next year.

“I am delighted that we can confirm today that Michael will make his much-anticipated return to Formula 1 next year and drive for our Mercedes GP team. With the completion of our driver line-up, I believe that we now have the most exciting partnership in Formula 1 with Michael and Nico, who provide the perfect mix of talent, experience, speed and youth,” added Brawn.