Following yesterday’s clash between George Russell and Max Verstappen, Christian Horner issued a sharp response to Nico Rosberg
It had been a while since we’d seen Christian Horner so outspoken after a race. After a Grand Prix in which Red Bull walked away with just a single point (Max Verstappen’s 10th-place finish), the British team principal had some very strong words to share in the immediate aftermath of the Barcelona GP—particularly about his star driver.
After the heated exchange between Russell and Verstappen—which ended with the Dutchman posting an apology on Instagram—Nico Rosberg also weighed in, issuing pointed criticism of the reigning World Champion. Horner’s response was even sharper.
Rosberg’s Comments and Horner’s Reaction
Known for his candid and direct style, Nico Rosberg said the following about Verstappen during his post-race commentary on Sky Sports UK:
“Slowing down and hitting another driver is a horrible thing to do. Remember Vettel against Hamilton in Baku 2017? That looked very deliberate. If you wait for your opponent and then hit them, that’s a black flag offence“.
Rosberg went further, drawing comparisons to other infamous moments in motorsport: “It also reminded me of Valentino Rossi’s move on Marc Marquez in Malaysia back in 2015. It’s simply unacceptable”.
Those references to MotoGP history didn’t sit well with Horner, who fired back quickly and decisively.
Clearly irritated by Rosberg’s words, Horner responded:
“If that’s his opinion, then fine—he’s entitled to it. But we also know Nico tends to be quite sensationalist in the way he comments, so we’ll leave it at that. I haven’t yet had the chance to speak with Max. That’s something we’ll address in due course. , It’s clear he was frustrated, and we’ll deal with what happened internally”. .
Photo: Oracle Red Bull Racing, Nico Rosberg X