Rosberg to ease disappointment with Easter triathlon

Nico Rosberg will put the disappointment of his missed Chinese grand prix podium behind him by taking part in a triathlon.

The Mercedes driver was reportedly angry after the Shanghai race when, in a strong position at the wheel of a resurgent W02, he was told to conserve fuel.

"Of course I was disappointed," he confirmed to German news agency SID, "because I was so close to a good podium and had even led the race."

Rosberg denied the team mistake has affected his motivation.

"We want to keep going forward and are all working extremely hard. I feel comfortable about it and highly motivated," he insisted.

He said he will be using the three-week gap between China and Turkey to recharge his batteries.

"On Easter Sunday I’m doing a triathlon with some friends in Nice, which is exciting," said Rosberg, referring to the Nice-Cote d’Azur.

Mercedes’ Norbert Haug said he is also upbeat about the "marked improvement" in the 2011 car seen in China.

"We were at McLaren’s race speed so we will have to keep understanding the car better," he told Auto Motor und Sport.