Rosberg: Rear wing will take getting used to
Nico Rosberg believes F1's latest technical innovation to potentially cause a degree of chaos.
The introduction of the adjustable rear wing, to assist overtaking, has so far stoked a considerable amount of debate within the sport.
At the push of a button from inside the cockpit a flap within the wing is lowered, disrupting the car's aerodynamics, increasing the straightline speed and so making it easier to pass.
The situation is complicated by the fact a driver can only activate the flap when indicated to do so by a light that determines he is within a second of the car in front.
Via the use of transponders around the circuit, the FIA govern when a car is within that second, with the flap to be used at one point on the track only, and not necessarily along the main straight.
After sampling the device for the first time on Tuesday on the first day of pre-season testing and the unveiling of the new Mercedes, the W02, Rosberg appreciates it is a complex piece of equipment.
"I tried it and it takes some getting used to," said the German at Valencia's Circuito Ricardo Tormo.
"You push the button and it lowers at the back, so you feel the car gets lighter, and then you release the button again before braking.
"But you think 'Jeez, what if it hasn't gone back to its original position,' because if it doesn't you are off in a big way.
"It's going to take some adjusting. Because it moves we don't know how quick it resets itself once you release the button again.
"It could be too late and it's not properly attached, so it's still a bit of a concern.
"Once you've got the hang of it you then need to judge whether it distracts you too much when you are in a race situation, with all the things going on.
"We need to keep an open mind on it, and the FIA have said anyway they will do that."
The flap cannot be used on the opening two laps for safety reasons, but Rosberg feels the racing early on will be spiced up anyway as drivers strive to pull a second clear of the car following, or to be within a second of the car in front to execute a pass.
"Things could get a lot more interesting, especially on the first lap when everybody is within a second of one another," added Rosberg.
"It's going to be all over the place, so it can only be good I guess."
Unfortunately for Rosberg he was unable to sample Mercedes' new challenger for too long, completing nine laps before a hydraulics failure brought his session to a premature end.
Despite that, Rosberg said: "The general impression is that it felt very good.
"The whole car is a big step forward for us, which all stems from the way the company is working, which is a lot better.
"There is more to come, certainly on the aerodynamics front, over the next few weeks."
Credit: PlanetF1.com (www.planetf1.com)
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