Mercedes GP driver Nico Rosberg was frustrated after the qualifying session today, despite outperforming his illustrious new team mate Michael Schumacher, saying that he felt that he had the package under him to challenge for pole position in Bahrain.
Rosberg eventually qualified in 5th place for his first race with Mercedes GP, two places ahead of Schumacher, who has been struggling to get to grips with the new W01 car at the Sakhir track.
But despite beating his seven-time world champion team mate at the first time of asking, Rosberg was looking ruefully forwards on the grid, rather than looking smugly backwards, saying that he felt the car had been good enough for a stronger result.
"I am disappointed for two reasons," Rosberg said mournfully after the session, "I was actually hoping for pole position to be honest.
"I was convinced that I could do it today. But we were missing a little bit of pace to do that. And then I should have been fourth I think. But it was so difficult out there with the tyres over-heating.
"If you one oversteer you overheated the tyres and then the next couple of corners were just game over. It was really challenging.
"I think tyres are going to be one of the main factors tomorrow. That's why we all went on the option also, because it is just a better race tyre for the start and for the first couple of laps."
Rosberg will start behind pole man Vettel, the Ferraris of Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso, and the McLaren of Lewis Hamilton in the race tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Schumacher said he was "quite happy" with the situation he found himself in, despite lining up for his first grand prix since he retired at the end of 2006 in 7th place.
"It's certainly a little bit different for me," Schumacher mused about the 2010-spec qualifying system.
"I feel that the time I had available in order to get on to the little peak of what our car could be doing, I have not yet got that one," he added, which makes no sense, "As you see Nico is a bit quicker than me.
"But I am quite happy, we have steadily improved and we have worked quite well as a team which is what counts at the moment a lot more. It is a long race. We will see and the year is even longer."
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