Nico Rosberg betting his house by predicting the Max Verstappen-Charles Leclerc rivalry turning sour didn’t age well as everything remained cordial.
In 2022, Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc started at the front to vie for the championship. However, soon the struggle for the title turned into a one-sided affair for Red Bull.
The drivers’ championship is officially over, with Verstappen cementing his claim in Japan. Thus, the hopes of an exciting fight for the championship went down the drain.
Many thought this year’s rivalry would reflect what the Dutchman had with Lewis Hamilton. But now, Leclerc is struggling to fight for the runner-up spot with four races to go.
Nico Rosberg bet badly on his house
The former world champion seeing the impactful start of the season, was driven away by the initial tensions in the Leclerc-Verstappen rivalry. Thus, he predicted that the respect between the two drivers would soon become a war of words. He even bet his house against it.
“It has been a huge surprise, but I would bet – probably even my house – that it will not last the whole season,” said Rosberg. “The number of times they go wheel-to-wheel, there must come a moment where there will be some wheel-banging or different opinions on an incident.”
But over the period, Verstappen won several races in a row. On the other hand, Ferrari’s reliability and questionable strategies succumbed to them under the pressure of the former’s consistency.
Will Charles Leclerc beat Sergio Perez?
Leclerc not only loses the title against Verstappen in Japan but also his consolation to be a runner-up this season against Sergio Perez. He can still redeem that position if he defeats the Mexican in the remaining four races, who is only a point ahead of the Ferrari superstar.
Meanwhile, Perez would also be aiming to win the race in Mexico, as he would be the first citizen from there to win at his home venue. Last year, considering Verstappen needed a win in Mexico for his title chase, Perez had to tone down his challenge.
Even Red Bull boss Christian Horner has claimed that now their entire focus would only be to make Perez win P2 in the standings. So, it wouldn’t be surprising if the 33-year-old becomes the main Red Bull driver for the remaining part of the season.
