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Nico Rosberg is as good as Sebastian Vettel but Adrian Sutil has been a real surprise of the season.
Those are the opinions of Gerhard Berger, given during an interview with Germany's Auto Motor und Sport. The Austrian 10-times GP winner, now 50, acknowledged Vettel's highly rated skills; he worked as a rookie at Toro Rosso in 2008.
"He is incredibly mature," Berger said. "It's true he is still making mistakes but I put that in the category of lacking experience. His biggest problem is that he probably underestimated Mark Webber."
Berger's most flattering comments are reserved for Rosberg, who has surprised many observers through 2010 by looking more competitive than his illustrious Mercedes team mate Michael Schumacher.
"For me, Nico is on par with Vettel. He just needs the right car to begin winning. He's shown this year that he makes very few mistakes, that his set-up is usually right, and that he's mostly ahead of Michael Schumacher," the former McLaren and Ferrari driver said.
"If Rosberg and Vettel were sitting in identical cars, I would not know who to put my money on."
Berger is also impressed by Sutil, who has driven for F1's Silverstone-based team - as Spyker and now Force India - since 2007.
"Last year I was laughing at him," the veteran admitted. "I would never have believed he had this much potential. His speed is tremendous and his mistakes have reduced dramatically.
"For me, with Rosberg, he is the surprise of the season."
Less impressive, according to Berger, is Nico Hulkenberg, but he'ss willing to give the Williams rookie some more time to prove himself.
"He's in a learning phase," said the Austrian. "He makes many more mistakes than Vettel and Rosberg did when they began, but Sutil was the same.
"I think Hulkenberg's mistakes are normal for a first year. If everything goes right, he is almost at the level of Barrichello -- and that's a compliment.
"Barrichello is certainly the best man of the second league and, with his vast experience, he doesn't make mistakes."
Those are the opinions of Gerhard Berger, given during an interview with Germany's Auto Motor und Sport. The Austrian 10-times GP winner, now 50, acknowledged Vettel's highly rated skills; he worked as a rookie at Toro Rosso in 2008.
"He is incredibly mature," Berger said. "It's true he is still making mistakes but I put that in the category of lacking experience. His biggest problem is that he probably underestimated Mark Webber."
Berger's most flattering comments are reserved for Rosberg, who has surprised many observers through 2010 by looking more competitive than his illustrious Mercedes team mate Michael Schumacher.
"For me, Nico is on par with Vettel. He just needs the right car to begin winning. He's shown this year that he makes very few mistakes, that his set-up is usually right, and that he's mostly ahead of Michael Schumacher," the former McLaren and Ferrari driver said.
"If Rosberg and Vettel were sitting in identical cars, I would not know who to put my money on."
Berger is also impressed by Sutil, who has driven for F1's Silverstone-based team - as Spyker and now Force India - since 2007.
"Last year I was laughing at him," the veteran admitted. "I would never have believed he had this much potential. His speed is tremendous and his mistakes have reduced dramatically.
"For me, with Rosberg, he is the surprise of the season."
Less impressive, according to Berger, is Nico Hulkenberg, but he'ss willing to give the Williams rookie some more time to prove himself.
"He's in a learning phase," said the Austrian. "He makes many more mistakes than Vettel and Rosberg did when they began, but Sutil was the same.
"I think Hulkenberg's mistakes are normal for a first year. If everything goes right, he is almost at the level of Barrichello -- and that's a compliment.
"Barrichello is certainly the best man of the second league and, with his vast experience, he doesn't make mistakes."