Nico Rosberg expects to have “many more years” at Mercedes despite entering the final term of his existing deal with the world champions.

Rosberg and his world championship winning team-mate Lewis Hamilton have both been warned that they could face the axe if their relationship has a detrimental effect on the team.

But while Hamilton is starting the first of his new three-year deal with Mercedes, which was announced at last season’s Monaco GP, Rosberg heads into the new campaign with just one further year to run.

“I am not worried about my seat because we have a great relationship and it is a perfect fit so why should I would be worried,” said Rosberg.

“We will have many more years together as a team. I have been here since day one and I am very proud.”

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has already expressed his admiration for Max Verstappen, while Pascal Wehrlein, the Mercedes protege, has landed his first full-time drive with Manor this season.

Asked whether he was keen to put pen-to-paper on a new deal to stifle any speculation surrounding his seat, Rosberg, 30, added with a smile: “Maybe it is already signed.”

Rosberg will head into the season-opening Australian Grand Prix bidding to beat Hamilton for the first time in their three-year partnership at Mercedes. While Rosberg took Hamilton to the wire in 2014, the Briton sealed last year’s championship with three races to spare.

“I look forward to this battle with the world champion,” Rosberg said. “He has beaten me for the past two years and he is the benchmark. That is what I am going for and trust me, I will be fighting all the way.”.

“There is the evidence that I can beat him on a string of occasions. In 2014, it went to the last race and I led the way for a long time that season and it was very close.

“I need to hope that he doesn’t have an awesome season like last year, and that for me everything falls into place and I get everything out of it. But there is no magic bullet.”