'Only Verstappen can come close to Hamilton, and maybe Perez'

Nico Rosberg is as yet the only one who managed to break Lewis Hamilton's dominance by becoming world champion in 2016. Rosberg himself thinks that Hamilton will be champion again this year, although there is one driver who could pose a challenge: Max Verstappen.

In an interview with Augsburger Allgemeine, Rosberg stated that the titles won by Hamilton after his departure are not additional proof of his talent and insisted he already knew of his ability.

"I already knew how good he was. For the outside world it is now a confirmation that he is the best of all time, also in terms of number of titles. That I beat him in the same car gives me additional confirmation of my success," Rosberg said.

He thinks Hamilton will remain unthreatened this year as well. "He has incredible talent and the best car. The only one who can come close is Max Verstappen. Maybe his new teammate Sergio Perez too, if the Red Bull does well."

Rosberg also mentioned Hamilton's teammate Valtteri Bottas, but he doesn't seem to expect too much from him. "Every year that he doesn't make it his chances get smaller," Rosberg concluded.