As soon as he joined the F1 grid, Max Verstappen became the talk of the town, often competing at the front of the grid. Even while driving for Toro Rosso, the now 26-year-old was a vicious driver, hunting the top drivers of F1. Former world champion Nico Rosberg was once subject to the prowess of the Dutchman, as he experienced one of the scariest moments of his career, thanks to Max Verstappen.
Back in 2016, Rosberg was in the lead of the championship as the drivers headed into the final race of the season. With Lewis Hamilton leading the race, Rosberg had to ensure a podium finish to secure the drivers’ championship. However, things weren’t as simple, thanks to a teenage Verstappen in the way.
nico talking about he almost lost his championship in the 2016 abu dhabi gp due to verstappen being ahead of him pic.twitter.com/QMzC4Wpc4h
— hourly brocedes (@brocedesinfomat) June 12, 2024
Speaking during the Technical University of Munich (TUM) Speaker Series, Rosberg recalled how a “crazy Dutchman” nearly made him lose his only world championship. The 2016 Abu Dhabi GP presented Rosberg with the scariest moment of his life, with Verstappen clutching onto P2 just behind Hamilton.
“‘If you don’t overtake him in the next two laps, you could lose this championship.’ That’s what my engineer tells me in my ear. So that’s one of the most scary things I heard in my life.”
Notably, this isn’t the only time Rosberg highlighted the pressure Max Verstappen put on him. In 2016, the German former driver also appreciated the Dutch driver’s prowess. The immense pressure put on Nico Rosberg by Verstappen that day led to him conceding that the Dutch driver was much more aggressive than his fiercest rival, Lewis Hamilton.
Max Verstappen is much more aggressive than Lewis Hamilton per Nico Rosberg
With three championships already under his belt, Rosberg believes Max Verstappen has become one of the all-time greats of F1. The level of his performance and his consistency baffle the 2016 world champion. Given the same, Rosberg believes it is only a matter of time before the #1 driver on the grid joins the league of the likes of Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton.
Since Max Verstappen debuted in Red Bull (Spain 2016), he has a better average race position than Lewis Hamilton in the same period.
Max Verstappen: 2.70
Lewis Hamilton: 3.08They are only beaten by Nico Rosberg (2.56), who retired at the end of that same season. pic.twitter.com/gOUMv2oubk
— Holiness (@F1BigData) April 25, 2024
In many ways, Hamilton’s former teammate believes that Verstappen and Hamilton share similarities. For example, on raw pace, Rosberg claims both drivers are similar. However, when it comes to aggression, the Dutchman has the edge.
Despite Hamilton often adopting an aggressive approach to racing, Rosberg doesn’t think the Briton comes close to the Dutchman. Although most elements of their driving are rather similar, it is these skills that currently give Max Verstappen the edge. While the defending champion is in the lead of the championship once again, Hamilton is yet to feature on the podium of a GP in 2024.
