Red Bull Chief Slams Nico Rosberg’s Outrageous Claims Against Max Verstappen After Spanish Grand Prix Drama
In a fiery exchange of words following the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner didn’t hold back in dismissing Nico Rosberg’s demand for Max Verstappen’s disqualification, labeling it as “sensationalist.”
The race saw Max Verstappen initially finishing fifth at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, only to drop to 10th place in the final standings due to a 10-second penalty for a collision with George Russell towards the end of the event. The intense battle between the drivers began when Verstappen, defending his position, ran wide at Turn 1, attributing the maneuver to Russell’s actions.
Despite Red Bull instructing Verstappen to give back the position, the Dutch driver executed a daring move, overtaking Russell again at Turn 5, resulting in a wheel-to-wheel contact that left everyone, from fans to commentators, stunned.
Former F1 World Champion turned Sky Sports F1 pundit, Nico Rosberg, didn’t mince his words, adamantly calling for Verstappen to be black-flagged during his live commentary. Horner, however, swiftly dismissed Rosberg’s remarks, subtly criticizing the German’s commentary style, stating, “Nico’s quite sensational in the way he commentates, so we’ll leave it there.”
Verstappen, unfazed by Rosberg’s criticism, nonchalantly responded, “Yeah, that’s his opinion; everyone can have his opinion.”
The incident now leaves Verstappen with a concerning tally of 11 penalty points on his FIA Super Licence, just one point away from facing an automatic race ban. The pressure is on for the reigning World Champion to maintain a clean record in the upcoming Austrian and Canadian Grands Prix to avoid suspension.
As the drama unfolds on and off the track, the F1 world eagerly anticipates the next chapter in the Verstappen-Russell rivalry, with tensions running high and the stakes even higher in the quest for championship glory.