"Perfect" Bottas lap sends a message to Hamilton - Rosberg

Former Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg heaped praise on Valtteri Bottas after the Finn's "perfect" lap snatched pole for the Eifel Grand Prix and 'sent a message' to team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

Bottas recovered from a half-a-second deficit to Hamilton in Q2 to take a magnificent pole position on Formula 1's return to the Nürburgring.

Rosberg, who is the last person to deny Hamilton the championship in 2016, believes the lap achieved by his successor was the statement needed to disrupt Hamilton's charge to the title.

"That was fantastic, the lap from Bottas out there," he told Sky Sports F1.

"I look at it and it was perfect and under all that pressure, that is exactly the message he needs to send Lewis' way - 'It is not over yet and I am still in the championship fight,' so if he can continue that tomorrow, that would be great."

Rosberg has revealed to discovering a weakness Hamilton possessed whilst the pair were team-mates, believing Bottas now has to capitalise.

"This is the weakness that Lewis has, sometimes he can lose his momentum and he can dip down and stay down for a couple of races," he explained.

"You have to try and keep him down there and also maximise your own results in the meantime.

"If Lewis is really in this period, which we don't know yet we have to see how tomorrow goes, then Valtteri needs to be winning and maximising those points.

"It is the only opportunity you get and the only chance you have to challenge Lewis for the championship."

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