Red Bull boss Christian Horner has dismissed Nico Rosberg’s call for Max Verstappen to be disqualified from the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, branding the reaction as “sensationalist”.
The Dutchman had originally crossed the line in fifth at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, but dropped to 10th in the final classification after being handed a 10-second time penalty for causing a collision with George Russell in the closing stages of the race.
The clash followed a tense scrap between the pair, beginning when Verstappen ran wide at Turn 1 while defending his position — a move he later claimed was caused by Russell forcing him off-track.
After retaining the place, Red Bull instructed Verstappen to cede the position.
He appeared to comply by lifting off at Turn 5, only to immediately lunge back up the inside, banging wheels with Russell in what appeared to be a calculated, if chaotic, move.
The incident left fans, commentators, and rivals alike scratching their heads.
Among the most vocal critics was Sky Sports F1 pundit Rosberg, who called for Verstappen to be black-flagged in an impassioned live commentary.
“He needs to get black flagged,” the 2016 World Champion declared. “He just crashed into Russell on purpose just to prove a point.
“That was horrible. That did not look good. That’s bad, bad, bad. That is seriously bad.”
Asked about Rosberg’s remarks after the race, Red Bull Team Principal Horner dismissed them with a thinly veiled dig at the German’s punditry style.
“Nico’s quite sensational in the way he commentates, so we’ll leave it there,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
As for Verstappen himself, he was quite clear in his thoughts on his former on-track rival’s comments.
“Yeah, that’s his opinion; everyone can have his opinion,” he blankly stated.
What will concern the reigning World Champion is the tally on his FIA Super Licence, which now stands at 11 penalty points – just one shy of an automatic race ban.
Verstappen must now keep his record clean through the next two rounds of the 2025 F1 season: the Austrian and Canadian Grands Prix.
READ MORE – Max Verstappen harbours no regret over George Russell clash in F1 Spanish GP
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