Formula 1 Youtube channel often comes with certain challenges for the drivers to help fans to have a more candid outlook of their drivers. In one of the episodes, they all were quizzed about naming all the world champions in a sequence starting from 2020 to 1950.
Max Verstappen, in that contest, seemed to have decent knowledge. But he made a huge fumble when he reached 2016. Instead of saying Nico Rosberg, who won the championship that year, he said Britney.
The Dutchman quickly realized his mistake and instantly corrected himself at that moment. For those who aren’t aware, Rosberg being mentioned as Britney has been a long-running joke in the F1 grid.
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Why is Nico Rosberg called Britney?
Rosberg, soon after making his F1 debut, got this name. His Williams teammate Mark Webber started mentioning Rosberg as Britney while discussing things with engineers. It’s believed that the German race driver’s long blond hair was the trigger behind the nickname.
It was apparently a reference to the Pop Icon Britney Spears. Eventually, what Webber called Rosberg became public that year only during the Brazilian GP, when Rosberg collided with Webber there.
Since both cars took heavy damage, Webber, on his radio, told his team that Britney was in the wall. Since then, Rosberg has never managed to get away with this name.
Dealing with Britney jokes since then
Once it went public, fans and his rivals wouldn’t spare him with the Britney jokes. In 2010, before the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Rosberg saw someone snooping on a Britney Spears photo on his passport.
Rosberg, who was with Mercedes then, had no idea who did this to his document. But he went on to Twitter to mention this awkward incident happened at the airport, and his followers couldn’t stop laughing.
checked in dubai.receptionist was shocked when she saw passport.some1stuck britney in my passport.no idea who http://plixi.com/p/57112914
— Nico Rosberg (@NicoRosberg) November 15, 2010
There was also a time when Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, who were Mclaren teammates, sang happy birthday Britney to him before the 2010 European Grand Prix. So, by now, Rosberg would be immune to him being called Britney.
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