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Rosberg like a young Schumacher - Brawn

Nico Rosberg is 12 points ahead of Michael Schumacher in the title race © Getty Images

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• Drivers:
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• Nico Rosberg
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• Michael Schumacher

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Nico Rosberg reminds Ross Brawn of a young Michael Schumacher, and the Mercedes boss has revealed he is hoping to keep both his drivers at the team for 2012.

Rosberg and Schumacher have been team-mates at Mercedes since the start of 2010 and so far the younger German has had the upper hand. Brawn said Rosberg is "definitely" the best team-mate Schumacher has ever faced, after working with seven-time world champion during all his title successes.

"Sometimes it's like the young Michael Schumacher is standing before me," he told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. "He goes about his job with an incredible intensity, he has no emotional weaknesses and is incredibly talented.

"Perhaps the situation would be a little easier for Michael if he had a team-mate who was not so incredibly strong. But both can learn many things from each other, and everyone is up to the challenge."

The Mercedes boss said his team's driver lineup for 2012 would be officially confirmed "later this season" and, after Schumacher announced his desire to stay for another year over the British Grand Prix weekend, Brawn said the seven-time champion would most likely stay on.

"He has a three year contract with Mercedes, and we are very happy with him," Brawn said. "But if he feels that he doesn't want to do it anymore, then we need to talk about it. You can't force somebody to do something. But we believe in him; he's an important part of our team."

Asked directly if Mercedes still wanted to work with Schumacher in 2012, Brawn insisted: "Yes, of course. We will get together later in the season."

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