AUGUST 16, 2010

Rosberg V Button looks like a good match-up!

Nico Rosberg is the latest F1 driver to follow in the footsteps of Jenson Button and use his summer break down time to compete in a Triathlon.

Nico Rosberg is the latest F1 driver to follow in the footsteps of Jenson Button and use his summer break down time to compete in a Triathlon.

The fact that Rosberg was about to compete for the first time became common knowledge over the Hungarian GP weekend, but the 25-year-old German kept his counsel over exactly where and when.

The answer was the Dextro Energy Triathlon in Kittzbuhel and from the result it appears that Button and Rosberg are very evenly matched. Button did the recent London Triathlon in 2h14m15s after a bout of tonsillitis, a time that was seven minutes down on his effort of 2009, while Rosberg completed the Kitzbuhel event in 2h07m23s.

The Olympic distance Triathlon comprises a 1500m swim, followed by a 40km bike ride, followed by a 10k run, with the between-stage transitions also forming part of the race time.

Rosberg completed the swim in 24m43s, the bike section in 1h02m47s and the 10k (6.2 mile) run in a highly respectable 36m58s. He placed 44th overall and 14th in his category age group.

"It was a great event, really hard but a lot of fun," the Mercedes driver said. "How people do what they do is amazing. I didn't have a lot of energy left in the last 5k but this is a new passion for me."

So, who in the F1 paddock will be the first to attempt the Iron Man distance - a 3800m swim, followed by a 112 mile bike ride, followed by a full 26-mile marathon run?