Nico Rosberg on Thursday dismissed the notion that he has slowed down this season, in relation to team-mate Lewis Hamilton, and instead suggested he can win this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, if he “maximises” his performance.

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The 29-year-old German, who is 27 points behind the 30-year-old Briton in this year’s drivers’ championship after the opening four races, was in bullish form on Thursday.

“Of course, the results speak for themselves and it is pretty clear,” he conceded, when asked specifically about his disappointing form this year and theories that he is already struggling to match world champion Hamilton.

“But, for me, Barcelona is a race on its own and I come here after a personal boost from Bahrain and I just want to optimise this weekend.

“That’s it and I am not really thinking about it more than that.”

In each of the four Grands Prix so far, Hamilton has been dominant, beating his team-mate in qualifying and the races.

“It’s just a matter of maximising the weekend and it’s not really come together until now. Parts have gone well, but other parts not so well and I just need to put it all together. Of course I will try to do that from now onwards.”

Looking composed in a regulation black team t-shirt, Rosberg said red was the colour that he and Mercedes now feared most in the form of Ferrari.

“We expect it to be similar now to the last couple of races,” he said.