TheSportsCampus

From the 2010 season, 24-year old German driver Nico Rosberg will drive for the new Mercedes team in the Formula 1 World Championship, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport announced today.

Three years after his father Keke had won the Formula 1 World Championship, Nico Rosberg, was born in Wiesbaden, Germany on 27 June 1985, inheriting his fathe's racing DNA. At the age of eight, Nico Rosberg began racing karts. From 1997 until 2000, he raced for the MBM team (the talent support programme of Mercedes-Benz McLaren); with this team, the two Formula 1 partners encouraged young talents. Nico's team-mate at that time was Lewis Hamilton, McLaren Mercedes driver since 2007 and 2008 Formula 1 World Champion. In 2000, Nico was r unner-up in the Formula A European Championship. Two years later, he entered his first car races in Formula BMW ADAC and clinched the title in his debut year with nine victories out of 18 races. A Williams Formula 1 test drive was the reward for the championship win - at the age of 17, Nico was the youngest driver ever to get such an opportunity.

In 2003 and 2004, Nico Rosberg participated in the then new Formula 3 Euro Series; in his first year he came home second in the rookie rankings and in 2004 he finished fourth overall. One year later in 2005, he moved up to the GP2 series which is staged alongside Formula 1 events and won the title.

The 2006 season opener at Bahrain on 12 March was Nico's first Formula 1 race; he finished seventh and posted the fastest lap. To date, he has taken part in 70 Grands Prix, all for the Williams team; scoring a total of 75.5 points and achieving second place at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix as his best Formula 1 result. The 2009 season was Nico's best in Formula 1 so far; finishing seventh overall with 34.5 points. He is yet to win a race at this level of competition.

Speaking on the occasion Nico said, "I am really happy to be a part of the Silver Arrows re-launch in 2010 as a driver for Mercedes. No other brand in Formula 1 can look back on such a long and successful tradition in motor racing."

Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, was effusive in his praise of the young German, "I saw Nico racing karts alongside Lewis Hamilton and later in the support programme of the DTM events - I have known him since he was a young boy. Early on it was obvious that he would make his way as a race driver and we are glad that after four years with Williams he will now be one of our drivers at Mercedes. It makes our re-start even nicer, that we have as talented and sympathetic a driver as Nico in our line-up. Nico has positive ambitions, we have positive ambitions and together we want to achieve a great deal. I am really looking forward to working with him."

While Nico's signing was a fairly expected one by the racing fraternity, who his teammate will be in the erstwhile Brawn GP team has drawn tremendous speculation. With world champion Jenson Button heading to McLaren Mercedes and Rubens Barrichello effectively swapping cars with Rosberg (formerly of Williams), it was widely expected that Nick Heidfeld be named for the other vacant seat at Mercedes. However, rumours are now running rife that Kimi Raikkonen could be talked down from his self imposed sabatical from the sport, and even the name of Michael Schumacher has been whispered in far from hushed tones in racing circles.