Rosberg eyeing Ferrari switch? Denied
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| Nico Rosberg Ferrari bound? |
(GMM) Nico Rosberg has rubbished suggestions he is close to switching to Ferrari.
It is believed the German remains under contract to Mercedes through next season, but speculation has linked him with Felipe Massa's Ferrari seat alongside Fernando Alonso.
One report even said Rosberg, 26, recently visited the famous team's Maranello headquarters. “This is all nonsense," he is quoted by the DAPD news agency. "I was not at Maranello." Rosberg said his goal is to stay with Mercedes for the long term. “My dream is to win with the Silver Arrows," he said.
11/01/11 (GMM) Rumors Nico Rosberg could be flirting with a switch to Ferrari are gaining strength this week, and we are upping this rumor to strong.
A source triggered the speculation by telling the Cologne publication Express that the 26-year-old is "thinking about" the famous Italian team.
Mercedes' Rosberg, however, has a contract for 2012, as does Fernando Alonso's Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa.
But Bild newspaper reports that Rosberg "has a clause that allows him an early termination under certain circumstances".
After India, Rosberg openly criticized his race strategy that appeared to have favored teammate Michael Schumacher.
At the same time, Express reports that Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo was dismayed with Massa's performance in India, featuring a crash with Lewis Hamilton and two near-identical mistakes that damaged his suspension.
"In the week before India, Nico was in Maranello," another source is quoted as revealing. "Ferrari wants to have him."
When asked if he will be at Mercedes next year, Rosberg answered: "I don't want to say anything about it.
"We are having discussions about a long-term cooperation."
Might those discussions be with Ferrari as well? Eddie Jordan, a former team boss and now British television pundit, thinks Massa should be worried.
"He needs to be careful because there are many talents out there," he is quoted by Austria's laola1.
"He does have a contract but in formula one you can never be sure."
10/31/11 (GMM) Nico Rosberg could be eyeing a switch from Mercedes to Ferrari, a "source" has told a German tabloid newspaper.
Mercedes chiefs Ross Brawn and Norbert Haug in India indicated they want to keep the 26-year-old beyond his contract, which according to reports is set to run until the end of next season.
But they also acknowledged that the "market is open".
"In general you can go to the wrong team at the wrong team, which is a mistake every driver should try to avoid," said motor sport director Haug.
Interestingly, Rosberg's link to Ferrari follows the latest controversy involving Felipe Massa, after which the Brazilian continued to angrily slam his nemesis Lewis Hamilton.
Ferrari has said it will honor Massa's 2012 contract but may look to replace him beyond then.
Explaining Massa's anger after his collision and penalty, Hamilton's boss Martin Whitmarsh noted that the 30-year-old is "under enormous pressure within that team".
The Cologne tabloid Express, meanwhile, noted that Mercedes is actually yet to confirm Rosberg, even for next year.
And the newspaper quoted a source as saying: "Nico is thinking about Ferrari."