Wednesday 3 February at 08:31 : Feb.3 (GMM) Nico Rosberg on Tuesday spat back at Rubens Barrichello's cheeky advice.

After Michael Schumacher immediately outpaced his new Mercedes GP teammate during Valencia testing, Williams' Barrichello told Rosberg via the media: "Get out of there!".

For six years between 2000 and 2005, Barrichello was Schumacher's subordinate teammate at Ferrari.

Rosberg was initially reluctant to respond, but when pressed by reporters on Tuesday, said according to the Telegraph: "From his point of view, he was beaten for six years so maybe from him it doesn't surprise me."

Asked about the same minor spat, Mercedes' Norbert Haug told Bild newspaper: "When Michael wins 72 races and Rubens 9, the odd team order might be invented.

"Maybe he's a little bit bitter," he hypothesised.

The Telegraph, meanwhile, reported that Mercedes' PR team was openly unhappy at Valencia with those media members who suggested this week that Schumacher's neck might still be injured.