Nico Rosberg will not reveal Lewis Hamilton's 'secrets' after Valtteri Bottas requests sit-down

Nico Rosberg has admitted that he is ready to sit down with Valtteri Bottas but made it clear that he will not reveal any of Lewis Hamilton's 'secrets' that will help the Finn to beat the three-time drivers champion in 2017.

The former Williams driver was appointed the Briton's new teammate after the reigning Formula One champion announced his retirement just five days after winning the 2016 crown. Rosberg confirmed that Bottas had called him and asked him for advice after joining the Silver Arrows team and admitted that he will be happy to have a chat with his former team's new employee.

"Yes, Valtteri asked to sit down with me," Rosberg said, as quoted by ESPN. "I am happy to do that, but I will not give him any tips or give away Lewis' secrets, although of course I know him very well. I will remain neutral."

Rosberg finally got the better of Hamilton after losing out in 2014 and 2015 and it was mainly down to the consistency of his performances during the course of the season, as the Briton won more races in 2016, that he claimed his first F1 title.

The German was appointed an ambassador of the Mercedes F1 team following his retirement and admitted that he will attend races during the course of the season. The 31-year-old has backed his former team to continue their reign at the top despite a host of regulation changes in 2017, but said Red Bull and Ferrari are capable of mounting a more serious challenge than they have in previous years.

"I will of course continue to follow developments and I'm looking forward to seeing the new car and will definitely be at the track for five or six races. I will continue to work with the sponsors.

"We are simply the best team and have the best chance. But Red Bull and Ferrari can never be underestimated. I'm still a huge fan of our sport and I'm already excited about the first tests," the 2016 F1 drivers' champion added.