Nico Rosberg Slams Max Verstappen Over Spanish Grand Prix Crash
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen got into a collision with Mercedes' George Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix, an incident Sky Sports Formula 1 commentator Nico Rosberg has deemed "horrible."
During a safety car, Red Bull decided to pit Verstappen to give him fresh hard tires, though all of the rest of the cars pitted for soft tires.
This left Verstappen vulnerable on track, and he quickly lost a place to Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc once the race restarted.
Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing on the grid during the F1 Grand Prix of Spain at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on June 01, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain
Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing on the grid during the F1 Grand Prix of Spain at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on June 01, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain
Photo by/Getty Images
Then, Russell came straight for Verstappen, though they made contact on the overtake.
It was unclear who was at fault at the moment, though Red Bull ordered the Dutch driver to give the place to Russell.
Verstappen thought that move was unfair, though he looked ready to concede the position and let Russell through, but at the last second, he drove into the Mercedes car for seemingly no reason.
Drama in the closing stages of the race! 😱
Max Verstappen drops to P10 following a 10-second penalty for causing a collision with George Russell #F1 #SpanishGP pic.twitter.com/anhkyJ92pk — Formula 1 (@F1) June 1, 2025
Rosberg, who was a part of the commentary team, immediately condemned Verstappen for the collision.
"Wow, that's bad, bad, bad," he said on the broadcast.
"That is seriously bad. He just rams him, full on.
"You need to black flag that, there is no other way. Max was in the right - at first. The team went against Max and caused him to boil over."
On the broadcast, Rosberg provides commentary based on his experience as a driver who has won a championship. His analysis tends to be in support of the drivers, trying to explain what someone behind the wheel of an F1 car is thinking.
george russell after max verstappen drove into him pic.twitter.com/eP0JwTWMvu — tiana ⁴ (@literallylando) June 1, 2025
He is never shy about sharing his opinion and has a clear opinion.
"I can tell you how it is. It was Georges's fault," Rosberg added. "He went in too hot. He oversteered out. He tapped into Max, who, of course, has to use the escape road.
"Then Max could have stayed in front because that was not the way to do a pass. Because George overcooked it in.
"The team messed up saying that George passed. That really annoyed Max because he knows that George rammed him off the track.
"In Max's eyes he was 100 percent in the right so why are you telling me to do this? 'That guy just rammed me off, watch this, I will show you what he did!' He slowed down then rammed into [Russell].
"Which is even worse. If you slow down to ram into another driver, that's pretty bad."
Verstappen ended up finishing P10 after the FIA stewards handed him a 10-second time penalty for causing the collision.
More F1: Max Verstappen Awarded FIA Platinum License for Endurance Racing
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