Button - "Hamilton's speed will surprise Rosberg"

December 13th, 2012 (F1plus Team).- It might sound as a warning or more like a "manage expectations" type of advice for the Nico Rosberg, but indeed, Hamilton's speed could leave a teammate with a sour after taste. 

Current McLaren Jenson Button belives outgoing team-mate Lewis Hamilton will surprise Nico Rosberg at Mercedes next season, with the 2009 Champion highlighting his fellow Briton's ability to extract speed from an underperforming car.

Hamilton will joined the German team starting in 2013 after signing a contract for three years. After a six-season tenure with the team that made him a Formula 1 driver, the Briton went looking for a new beggining.  

"I think he'll (Rosberg) probably get a bit of a surprise at his speed," Button said of his German rival. "I know he's been his team-mate in the past but I think he'll be surprised at how Lewis can get performance out of a bad car. I think that will be the biggest thing."

Button also believes that Hamilton and Rosberg's experience as karting team-mates should ease the transition when the move is completed on January 1.

"I think he knows him pretty well," he said. "I think Nico knows Lewis better than I do. They've worked together before and I'm sure he knows what to expect."

Nevertheless, Rosberg has performed very well against his teammates, including Schumacher to whom he outscored in the three seasons they raced together.  Webber did slighly better than him at Williams in his rookie year (2006). 

As for the two Brits, during their time as team-mates, Button scored 672 points to Hamilton's 657. So, not everything is about speed.