Lower number to be irrelevant in Bahrain

(GMM) Nico Rosberg has played down the significance of swapping his race number for the 2010 season with his famous teammate.

Mercedes GP said last week that it had met Michael Schumacher's request to wear '3' on his car this season, despite 24-year-old Rosberg having already been assigned the lower team number.

"When I win in Bahrain, people will care not about the number that is on my car, but about the driver who is inside," he told the French sports daily L'Equipe.

The German also insists he is excited rather than disappointed about sharing a team with the most successful driver in F1 history.

"I am next to the reference of F1, so you cannot have better than that. I have been given the assurance we will have the same materials.

"All the attention will be on him, while I have the time to concentrate on my work," Rosberg added.