Nico Rosberg expects his teammate Lewis Hamilton to push him all the way at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

The two Mercedes drivers will start seven points adrift at thefront of the grid and their team will allow them to race freely unless mechanical problems occur during the drive.

Rosberg told reporters: "We're definitely going to try to put on a good show. It's likely to be a good race."

Hamilton added: "We just need to be sensible and respectful. The primary target is points for the team but at the end of the day we want to win."

Mercedes have won the two opening races of the season, with Rosberg triumphant in Australia and Hamilton leading from start to finish to stand atop of the podium at the Sepang track in Malaysia.