Feb.4 (GMM) Christian Horner has added his voice to claims Michael Schumacher will be the 'number one' driver at Mercedes in 2010.

In the pages of the Germany weekly Sport Bild, the Red Bull team boss was responding to reports that Nico Rosberg could find himself playing a subordinate role to the famous seven time world champion.

"Michael was always number one, so in that context it's interesting to observe the little things that indicate a continuation of the tradition," Briton Horner said.

"For example, the sudden change of their starting numbers," he added, referring to Rosberg's loss of the lower number 3 due to Schumacher's superstition.

Horner believes Rosberg, who expected to share a garage with Jenson Button in 2010, became Schumacher's teammate unwittingly.

"If you ask me, when Nico signed his contract with Mercedes, the very last person he would have expected to be his teammate was Michael Schumacher," he said.

Mercedes' Norbert Haug played down the circulating claims about Schumacher's preferential team status.

"This is the usual theatre of formula one," the German told Bild newspaper. "We all laugh about it, and Nico in particular."

Latest F1 News - Mobile version

26 Feb: New Ferrari not quickest in field - Domenicali 26 Feb: Red Bull still best in 2013 - Tost 26 Feb: 2014 French grand prix 'possible' - Prost 26 Feb: Danica Patrick 'not interested' in F1 switch 26 Feb: Report - Gilles Simon working on F1 engine for Honda 26 Feb: Gutierrez plays down link to Carlos Slim 26 Feb: Caterham exhaust 'legal' insists van der Garde 26 Feb: McLaren replaces Mercedes-bound Lowe 25 Feb: 'Engine maps' trouble for Red Bull, Lotus - report 25 Feb: Mercedes-bound Lowe to miss 2013 opener - report 25 Feb: Mercedes 'in group of teams' behind Red Bull - Lauda 25 Feb: Gutierrez expects Hulkenberg to beat him early in 2013 25 Feb: New Ferrari 'much better' than 2012 - Massa 25 Feb: Teams 'will adapt' to new tyre situation - Gutierrez 25 Feb: Tight rules make today's F1 cars 'the same' - Forghieri 25 Feb: Williams removes controversial exhaust trick 25 Feb: Contract 'conflicts' cause of Marussia test snub - Razia 25 Feb: Lotus to fight Red Bull for title - Gutierrez 25 Feb: Marussia 'ahead of Caterham' - Chilton 25 Feb: Sutil will not stay in F1 as test driver The latest F1 News - Mobile Version