Nico Rosberg attacks
The ‘Verstappen case’ that erupted in Spain following the hard contact initiated by the Dutch driver against George Russell in the closing stages of the Barcelona race sparked heated reactions in the paddock. Red Bull’s Dutchman was handed a 10-second penalty – which dropped him from fifth to tenth in the final standings – and received three penalty points on his super licence, putting him at serious risk of a one-race suspension.
However, some believed an even harsher penalty should have been imposed on the reigning world champion. Former driver and 2016 champion Nico Rosberg, speaking live during the race broadcast on German TV channel Sky Sport Deutschland, went as far as calling for the black flag – i.e., disqualification – for Max Verstappen. A very strong stance that inevitably heightened the post-race tension.
Christian Horner replies
Max Verstappen, speaking to the media present in Spain, quickly shut down the debate: “Yes, that’s his opinion. He can have his opinion,” declared the #1 with his typical tone, hovering between defiant and sarcastic. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner offered a slightly more elaborate reply to Nico Rosberg, though he still didn’t give much weight to the German’s remarks.
“Nico is quite sensationalist in the way he comments, so we’ll leave it at that,” was Horner’s comment to the media at Montmeló. Continuing his analysis of the incident, the head of the Austrian team also stated his intention to hear from his own driver to better understand the facts: “I haven’t had a chance to speak with Max yet. It’s something we’ll talk about in due course,” Christian Horner said. “I think it’s clear he was frustrated. We’ll discuss internally what happened.” – the Red Bull team principal concluded at the end of the Spanish Grand Prix, which was held last Sunday at the 4.657-kilometre Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
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