Lewis Hamilton vs. Nico Rosberg: The F1 rivalry renews

Published 1346 GMT (2146 HKT) March 11, 2016

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Will it be third time lucky for Nico Rosberg (right) in 2016? Or will his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton (left) win a third successive Formula One championship? Mark Thompson/Getty Images

The new Mercedes car showed no signs of slowing over eight days of winter testing Barcelona, putting an impressive 1,294 laps on the clock -- the equivalent of more than 19 races. JOSEP LAGO/AFP/AFP/Getty Images

Former F1 race-winner Mark Webber tips Hamilton to be "dangerous" if he shakes off his post-2015 title success hangover. LLUIS GENE/AFP/AFP/Getty Images

Rosberg -- Webber's teammate during his 2006 rookie season at Williams -- won the last three races of 2015 after Hamilton had clinched the third drivers' championship of his career. Mark Thompson/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images

Webber believes Hamilton "backed off a sniff, two or three percent" after clinching his second successive title at the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. Clive Mason/Getty Images North America/Getty Images

As well as those three wins, Rosberg claimed six pole positions at the end of last year to give him much-needed momentum ahead of the new season. Paul Gilham/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images