The Italian GP left fans and experts with plenty of talking points after Max Verstappen won his tenth consecutive GP. While the Dutchman’s feat was undoubtedly the talk of the town, the clash between the two Ferrari drivers in the closing stages of the race also had many raging on about it. As both drivers went wheel to wheel against one another, the lack of mediation by team principal Fred Vasseur bugged former world champ Nico Rosberg. During an interview with Sky Sports (reported by F1 Maximaal), Rosberg asserted the Frenchman should have intervened early on as his drivers battled each other on the track.
Rosberg himself is no stranger to engaging in battles with a teammate. During his time as a Mercedes driver alongside Lewis Hamilton, the duo engaged in many glorious battles with each other, especially during the 2016 season that saw Rosberg pip his teammate by five points to win the driver’s title. While he understands the drivers’ nerves might have gotten the better of them, he claims they should have kept a cool head, especially since it was their team’s home GP.
Ferrari team boss should have intervened early on- Nico Rosberg
It was a memorable qualifying in Monza when Carlos Sainz Jr. outpaced Max Verstappen to secure pole position for the main race of the weekend.
On Sunday, after an impressive defensive showcase, the Spaniard crumbled under pressure as the Dutchman eventually overtook him, never to be caught again. Sergio Perez also managed to overtake the two Ferraris on the field, leaving them to battle for the final position on the podium. Things turned spicy between the teammates as they almost led to each other crashing. Even though nothing unfortunate happened, Rosberg claims Vasseur should have intervened so both drivers could keep a cool head.
“Afterwards, I really advised Vasseur to put a stop to this kind of fighting next time. He simply has the final say as team boss.”
While the scenario felt rather hostile on the track, Charles Leclerc told the media after the race that it was only a friendly competition between him and Sainz. He says he enjoyed a mutual battle with his teammate and that there were no hard feelings between the two drivers after the race was over.
In the end, Sainz got the better of his teammate by 0.184 seconds. But Rosberg believes there was more to Leclerc’s statements than meets the eye.
Rosberg unconvinced with Leclerc’s post-race statements
With Leclerc claiming all was well within the Ferrari camp, Rosberg couldn’t help but remember his time as a driver in F1. During a recent interview, the former world champion suggested there might be a “Hollywood” factor to the Monegasque’s words. He also wondered whether there was actual truth to the driver’s words or if he was “pulling a Nico.” In the end, the German former driver claimed Leclerc was being too nice in his approach to the incident, especially with Ferrari seemingly favoring Sainz during the race.
Fred Vasseur has put Charles Leclerc’s contract renewal at Ferrari at the top of his agenda for a few weeks.
Leaving that of Carlos Sainz on stand-by for the moment, who at least unofficially does not seem to have taken it very well. pic.twitter.com/aPOQvBkvO9
— Q. (@leclercstyre) July 12, 2023
Leclerc has been a vital part of the Ferrari team since 2019. His current contract runs till the end of the 2024 season, and there have been no official talks about a contract extension despite rumors suggesting he has already signed a five-year extension worth $ 198,500,000. Despite the shortage of time, both parties are not in favor of rushing towards a new deal, with the driver previously admitting to wanting to stay with the team as long as there’s even a slight chance of him winning a world championship with the Prancing Horse.
As for Sainz, things are much more complicated around the Spaniard, with Audi also showing interest in signing the driver once they enter the sport in 2026.
