“That’s Not Fun”: Nico Rosberg Opens Up About Drivers Avoiding Press Conferences

Nico Rosberg works with Sky Sports currently and takes several interviews throughout the course of a season. But as a driver, he hated being a part of interviews and press conferences, something the 2016 world champion spoke about on the recent episode of the Sky Sports F1 podcast.

Journalist Matt Baker asked Rosberg whether he ‘looked forward to’ attending the media sessions during a Grand Prix weekend. The ex-Mercedes driver made his feelings about that clear.

“Are you kidding me?! That is not fun,” Rosberg said. “If I could have chosen as a driver, it was just get to the track and work with the engineers, that was enjoyable, setting up the car. Going out, driving. That’s it, nothing else.” 

At the same time, Rosberg added that he understood it was a part of his duty as an F1 driver to attend press conferences. The media, photographers, and journalists play a huge role in promoting the sport, which makes it as popular as it is.

However, F1 drivers often do not treat it with importance, and grow to develop a disdain towards attending media sessions. Even if they do, they prefer to just be themselves, like Max Verstappen insists.

The Dutchman prefers to be candid and blunt with his answers, which also involve swear words. But with the FIA banning those, Verstappen protested by filling his sentences with cuss words at the Singapore GP’s press conference. When he got penalized for the same, he followed it up by answering questions in a monosyllabic manner, much to the journalists’ annoyance.

Rosberg never had any heated exchanges with the media, but he still dreaded attending them. As such, there could be multiple other personalities on the paddock who secretly dislike talking to the press.