Nico Rosberg: "I’ve been very successful"

Nico Rosberg has insisted that he does not need to win the world championship to regard his career as a success.

Speaking to The Guardian, the German said that he already sees his career as a success, but winning a title still remains his aim.

"I’ve been very successful and I hope to get more success. My dream is to win the world championship and I’m fighting for that. I’m giving it everything," he said. "This is a special period. It’s almost unique in F1 history – to have such a [dominant] car for such a long period. Every race I can be on pole if I do well – and I can win. It’s unreal."

Speaking of Lewis Hamilton's recent resurgence, which has seen him shrink Rosberg's once seemingly unassailable championship lead down to one point, the German admitted that he tried to remain grounded in moments of adversity.

"I’m just as human as everyone else," he insisted. "Sometimes people forget that when watching fast cars on TV. I also get nervous and I see the glass half-empty and I have self-doubt in the most difficult moments. For example last year in Austin when I lost the championship."

"I always reminded myself to stay within reality. It’s not possible for a run like that to go on forever. There will be difficult times again."

Despite once seen as good friends, having known each other since their karting days, Rosberg said that it is difficult for the Mercedes duo to be friends at the moment.

"I have huge respect for him but, well, we’re not best friends at the moment," he admitted. "That’s the difficulty between us now. We’re just both so competitive and that makes it difficult to be friends because the competition is so extreme."

"It was the same back then [in karting]. How many pizzas could we eat? Who could run fastest from the lift to the hotel room? It would be competition all the way but there was not the surrounding influence with a team, the media and money. That makes it difficult now," he continued.

"I do recognise his achievements. He’s done some great things and he’s been beating me. I have to fight back and that’s the awesome challenge."