Nico Rosberg has quashed any suggestions that Mercedes GP PETRONAS will not be challenging at the head of affairs during the 2010 Formula One season.

The 24-year-old and team-mate Michael Schumacher gained the opportunity to sample the MGP W01 for the first time during the three days of Formula One testing to have recently taken place in Valencia.

Rosberg finished the final day with the ninth quickest time in Spain, with seven-time World Champion Schumacher finishing two spots higher.

However, Rosberg told the German newspaper Bild that improved results can be expected when the next stage of testing takes place later this week in Jerez.

He said: "At the Jerez tests the veil will continue to be lifted and a more detailed picture will emerge. We will certainly be at the top."

Meanwhile, Schumacher recently revealed that the main aim of the testing in Valencia was to get some mileage under the new car’s belt and for both driver’s to develop the balance of the vehicle.

The Formula One testing in Jerez begins on February 10th.

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Nick Heidfeld is fully committed to the job at hand as he intends to help Mercedes-Benz make a winning return to Formula One as the manufacturer is to have its first works team in the sport since 1955.

Heidfeld was recently announced as the test and reserve driver at Mercedes GP PETRONAS, where he will provide experienced support for both Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg.

The 32-year-old is preparing for his tenth season in Formula One having debuted in 2000 and in this time he has accumulated 167 race starts and gained 219 career points.

He said: "While I would of course have preferred a seat as an active driver, I am really proud to be part of the new Silver Arrows team.

"I have seen how committed everyone at the team is and I feel the same. I will be doing my very best to support Michael and Nico this year."

Heidfeld also represented Mercedes-Benz in his junior days and was supported by the manufacturer when triumphing in the German Formula Three Championship in 1997.

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Ross Brawn feels that the new points system that will be introduced into Formula One this season is a good thing and will encourage drivers to go all out to win races.

The Mercedes GP PETRONAS Team Principal believes that in prior seasons, some drivers were often happy to settle for finishing second as they gained eight points compared to the winner’s ten.

However, with a race victor now receiving 25 points, seven more than he who is the runner up, Brawn is convinced there is more motivation to try to pull off an overtaking manoeuvre at the front of the grid.

He told the BBC: "There is a much stronger incentive for the person in second place to try to beat the guy in front.

"The argument is if there’s only two points, it’s not such an incentive. If it’s seven it’s much more attractive."

Meanwhile, the new points-scoring system extends to a driver finishing in tenth position, rather than he who ends the race in eighth spot.

Mercedes GP PETRONAS driver Michael Schumacher currently holds the record for the most Formula One points in a season thanks to his total of 148 across 18 races in 2004.

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Nick Heidfeld has been confirmed as the Mercedes GP PETRONAS reserve and test driver for the 2010 Formula One season.

The 32-year-old learnt his trade on the Mercedes Young Driver programme in the late 1990s and has since gone on to compete for a host of teams in the last decade, starting 167 races and achieving 12 podium finishes.

Mercedes-Benz Team Principal Ross Brawn is especially pleased to be able to call upon a driver of Heidfeld’s experience if either Michael Schumacher or Nico Rosberg are unable to compete in a Grand Prix.

Brawn said: "Nick has more than ten years of experience in Formula One working with established teams and he will be a great asset to Mercedes GP PETRONAS.

"I am confident that his input into the development of our MGP W01 car will be invaluable."

Despite never winning a Grand Prix, Heidfeld has finished in second spot on eight occasions, while his consistency is backed up by the fact that he completed all 18 races during the 2008 Formula One season.

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Michael Schumacher believes Mercedes GP PETRONAS made significant progress during the three days of Formula One testing that has now concluded in Spain.

The seven-time World Champion completed 40 laps as he shared track time with team-mate Nico Rosberg during the opening day of testing in Valencia.

However, he was on his own for the final day as he clocked a fastest time of 01:12.438 during his 82 laps.

Rather than a single-minded focus on speed, Schumacher stated that it was most important to get some mileage into the new MGP W01 ahead of the opening race of the season - the Bahrain Grand Prix - which takes place on March 14th.

He said: "The main focus is on reliability and doing as many laps as we can so we’re not too worried about looking at the lap times right now.

"The experience has been very positive and the car is running smoothly."

Schumacher and Rosberg can now look forward to further familiarising themselves with the new vehicle at the next stage of Formula One testing, which gets underway in Jerez on February 10th.

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Michael Schumacher has revealed that gaining the opportunity to drive the new Mercedes GP PETRONAS vehicle has made him feel like a "young boy" again.

The 41-year-old completed 40 laps in three runs in the MGP W01 on the opening day of Formula One testing in Valencia, taking the afternoon session after team-mate Nico Rosberg.

Schumacher posted the fastest time of 01:12.947 to be the third quickest on the timesheets and highlighted that he was immediately impressed by the speed of the car.

He said: "I felt totally comfortable and really had a feeling that everything was very natural.

"It felt just like at the very beginning of my career in 1991 when on the first lap, I thought ‘wow that was really fast’ and then on the second lap, I was just extremely excited. I feel like a young boy again and really enjoyed myself out there."

Meanwhile, the seven-time World Champion’s doctor has confirmed that Schumacher’s body is in the right shape to be able to deal with the demands of the Formula One season.

Schumacher was close to a return last year but this was jeopardised by his failure to significantly recover from a neck injury sustained in a motorbike accident.

However, Johannes Peil stated that Schumacher can now completely focus on his driving after a solid testing session without incident.

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Mercedes-Benz is the most successful name in motor racing, the results of a new survey have shown.

Approximately 4,000 members of the public were questioned as part of the PKW Monitor survey from German motoring organisation ADAC, with the result asking which manufacturer is the most successful in motor racing.

Mercedes-Benz was crowned as the champion, with the poll being carried out for Motorwelt magazine in December last year.

Elements such as brand image, customer satisfaction, product quality and market strength were among the criteria in which the respondents supplied answers.

The manufacturer has taken part in a range of motorsport activities throughout its long history, including the recent return to Formula One for the first time since the 1950s through the Mercedes GP PETRONAS team.

A debut in Formula One was witnessed at the French Grand Prix in 1954, with Juan Manuel Fangio going on to claim the drivers’ championship.

Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz also has ties with Touring Car racing thanks to its team in DTM, Formula Three, Sportscar racing and IndyCar.

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Nico Rosberg insists that it was a "very special" moment to be the person to get the chance to drive the new Mercedes GP PETRONAS car onto the racetrack for the first time during the opening day of Formula One testing.

The team unleashed the MGP W01 at the first of three days of testing in Valencia, with the 24-year-old getting the opportunity to sample the Silver Arrows vehicle before team-mate Michael Schumacher.

Rosberg completed 39 laps over five runs and set the fastest time of 01:13.543, although the main aim was to work through the initial car set-up and ensure that his seat was comfortable and correctly positioned.

He said: "It was a good first day of testing for us and my initial impressions of the new car are very positive. It felt great to be in the car for the first time.

"It’s too early to get an initial impression of the competitiveness but it was very special to drive the new Silver Arrow out of the garage."

Rosberg will also run the car for the second day of testing before Schumacher will take over for the final runs in the closing session.

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Michael Schumacher has hinted that he could remain with Mercedes GP PETRONAS for longer the three-year contract he signed last year.

The 41-year-old is currently preparing to be the oldest driver on the Formula One grid for the 2010 season after agreeing terms to partner fellow German Nico Rosberg at the team in December.

Speaking to German newspaper Bild, Schumacher revealed that there is the potential that he could remain at the team beyond the duration of his contract that runs until 2012.

The seven-time Formula One World Champion said: "The great thing about Mercedes is that they have given me the possibility to attempt further success, but that doesn’t have to be it after the three years.

"The current contract was not my idea, it came from the team and I see it as a mark of confidence in me."

He added that it "would be optimistic" to expect an eighth title in his first year on the track since 2006, but it remains his aim in the longer term.

Schumacher has amassed 1,369 points during his Formula One career, coming from 91 victories and 154 podium finishes.

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Ross Brawn is hopeful that Nico Rosberg matures and grasps the opportunity to learn from team-mate Michael Schumacher this season as he is the future of Mercedes GP PETRONAS.

Rosberg was the first driver named by Mercedes GP PETRONAS for the 2010 Formula One season, with seven-time World Champion Schumacher completing an all-German line-up nearer the end of last year.

Team Principal Brawn highlights that he has been keeping tabs on the 24-year-old for a number of years and is hoping that he forms a strong partnership with Schumacher as they battle for supremacy this season.

Brawn said: "We signed Nico first and have tried to sign Nico for several years. We had strong discussions with him two years ago. We see Nico as a great talent, but it needs finishing and maturing.

"He has not won a race yet, although he came very close. I see Michael helping Nico develop his career. Michael has come out of retirement but we have to accept that there will come a day when he has to stop forever and then we will have Nico."

Despite never taking the chequered flag first in Formula One, Rosberg has finished on the podium twice in 70 races.

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