Nico Rosberg believes Mercedes team-mate Michael Schumacher will be back at his best sooner rather than later.

Rosberg has outperformed Schumacher in all four qualifying sessions and grands prix so far this season, and following another disappointing drive in China there has been growing debate over the wisdom of Schumacher's comeback. While Rosberg lies second in the drivers' championship with 50 points, Schumacher is down in tenth with ten points.

"I'm happy to be ahead of him but I don't know how long it will last," Rosberg told Gazzetta dello Sport. "I would have been happy just to be at his level. Now I hope I can carry on competing with him.

"People have the wrong opinion of Michael," he said. "I thought that it wouldn't be a good thing to have him as team-mate; instead, I'm pleasantly surprised about it."