Race Preview Feature Five: A Monaco Story When Nico Met Mika MONTE-CARLO – May 22, 2012: It's a scene that happenshundreds of thousands of times a day around the world: two peoplemeet in a lift, greet each other and begin to chat about work andlife. The twist in this particular story, though, is that theelevator is in Monte-Carlo; the two men are resident in the sameapartment building, separated by little more than a few floors; andboth have written their own chapters in the very exclusive grandprix racing history of Mercedes-Benz. Mika H kinen was the first Mercedes-Benz world champion of themodern era, and a two-time title winner in 1998 and 1999 withMcLaren Mercedes; Nico Rosberg is the first man to win a Grand Prixat the wheel of a Silver Arrow since the great Juan Manuel Fangio,in the third season of the return of the Silver Arrows. On the eveof the race around their home streets, the two men met to discusstheir experiences as part of one of the most spectacular events inworld sport. The histories of Mika H kinen and Nico Rosberg have beenintertwined for more than twenty years, when Nico was just a youngboy and Mika worked with Keke Rosberg, who led his management team. "I don't remember when we first met - maybe Mikadoes!" laughs Nico when the question comes. "Well, I started working with Keke at the end of 1987,"recalls Mika. "I think the first time we met must have beendown here in Monaco in the early ‘90s. I was visiting Keke,and you were playing in your room! It's possible I was hisfirst sponsor in karting - do you remember that?" "Yeah, sure," laughs Nico. "It was 1997, I was 11years old and competing in the French go-karting championship. Ihad a poster in my room with all my sponsors on there, and one ofthem was you!" "My son is eleven now," says Mika, picking up thethread. "I'm sure I did a contract with Keke that oneday, when Nico will win races and be world champion, he has tostart supporting my son Hugo!" If the early stages of Nico's career were supported by Mika -who today himself is a partner with Didier Coton in Aces Managementand has, among others, young Finn Valtteri Bottas under his wing -the parallels between the two have only grown stronger as time haspassed. Both Mika and Nico had to wait until their seventh FormulaOne season before climbing the top step of the podium - Mika after96 races, at the 1997 European Grand Prix in Jerez; Nico in his111th start, at this year's Chinese Grand Prix. And both intheir third seasons driving Mercedes-Benz-powered cars. "Your first victory in Formula One always feels like it is along time coming," explains Mika. "And especially in mycase - but when it arrives, the feeling is just amazing. Butproblems are part of life, and winning or losing, they don'tdisappear. You need to keep understanding the cause ofdisappointments and where you and the team can improve. There is nopoint having your face upside down for one week - it's betterto pick up the phone, travel, see people, talk, organise yourself.Then you know that at the next event, you will be stronger - and ifnot the car, then yourself; you can always be better. Because theday when you have a car to win, you have to be ready. If not,it's too late. I knew that one day I was going to win, itjust took a long time." "I had exactly the same feeling - Ross, all the guys, kepttelling me that the win would come, I just needed to stay patientand take my opportunity," agrees Nico. "Of course, youget frustrated if it doesn't go perfectly, but time takesthat away and you keep going, follow the development, communicateconstantly with the team." "Nico did a perfect weekend in China and deserves full creditfor that win," emphasises Mika. "It was not dependingon circumstances or luck, but purely on his hard work. As aMercedes-Benz ambassador, it was great not only to watch hisachievements, but to enjoy seeing Mercedes-Benz back on the topstep of the podium." Inevitably, the conversation soon turns to the unique challenge ofracing around the Monegasque streets, which have been home to bothof them for more than 20 years. For Nico, the tunnel was once theroute to school, in the passenger seat next to his Mum or on theschool bus. And that ‘local' feel is one that Mika saysremains throughout the weekend. "I had some great victories in my career, but Monaco wassomething special," remembers Mika. "I have lived herefor 20 years and the thing you realise is that the people who workon the race track are also the people who live and work in Monaco -the police, the pompiers. In everyday life, these are the guys yousee in the street and they say ‘hi' as you walk past.To win in Monaco is like winning in your home streets, and yourecognise faces all through the weekend." "It's home for me too, of course," picks up Nico."I've grown up here, all my friends are here and myfamily, I know everybody and it's very special to race here.Mentally, it's quite a demanding weekend. You have a lotgoing on, a lot of PR events and appointments. Plus on track, too,it's a bit more intense - but not so much. You need to besuper concentrated at every circuit." "That's true. But what changed for me was that, when Igot a car that I would win races with, Monaco became more importantfor some reason. When you are hunting pole position in Monaco, yourmind changes; you put yourself in a higher power, even though youthink you are doing it already. When you are fighting for P11 orP12, you always think you are doing your maximum. But when Istarted fighting for pole, it just happened that I was working evenharder to reach my goal - but not purposely. And of course, wechanged the car, too: the steering lock, and the seating positionto sit higher in the car, because the aero was not so important andwe wanted to see the Armco properly." "That's interesting, because we definitely makechanges, too," says Nico. "But I don't thinkit's common practice, even today." With that, the two men are off to inspect the circuit at the wheelof the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster. Over the years,Mercedes-Benz has been synonymous with success in Monaco - from thethree consecutive victories in 1935, 36 and 37 for Fagioli,Caracciola and von Brauchitsch respectively; to the seven FormulaOne victories for Mercedes-Benz power, including three of the lastfive. And the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team will beworking hard to add a new milestone to the company's heritagethis weekend. 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