Nico Rosberg claims Max Verstappen belongs to the elite list that includes Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton

Max Verstappen has gained wings with Red Bull. The Dutchman stands at 255 points, 99 points ahead of his second-place teammate Sergio Perez and has won eight out of the ten races this season. Former Mercedes driver and World Champion Nico Rosberg shared his views regarding this F1 season and Verstappen’s dominance. He claimed the Verstappen has proved he deserves a seat with the sport’s greats.

In an interview with the Spanish newspaper Marca, Rosberg praised Verstappen, comparing him to legends like Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, and Lewis Hamilton. The 2016 champion said that Verstappen dominance over the field and his teammate is proof of his greatness.

“For me, he reaches the level of biggest names in F1. Senna, Schumacher, Hamilton.. Max belongs among the best five or six drivers of all time. He is a phenomenon. You can see it with his teammates. They are good, but they never come close to him,” said Rosberg.

Rosberg also seems to believe that Red Bull can win every race in the 2023 season, a feat no other team has achieved in the sport’s history. But he does find Sergio Perez’s lackluster form a barrier to it, as it will be extremely difficult for Max Verstappen to be consistent through the season.

“It certainly seems like they can win every race this season. The problem at the moment is that they only have one driver who seems capable of winning. The other one is always lagging behind and facing many issues,” Rosberg added.

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Rosberg empathizes with Sergio Perez

Nico Rosberg drove with Lewis Hamilton for Mercedes from 2013 to 2016. In this three-year stint, the rivalry between the two drivers peaked. The duo was even threatened with suspension due to their confrontations on and off the track. In their four years of racing together, Hamilton came out with two world championships and Rosberg with one. The pressure to secure a victory over Hamilton and other factors force Rosberg to announce retirement soon after the triumph.

Rosberg believes that Sergio Perez is in a similar situation at Red Bull as his Dutch teammate is so dominant for him to triumph over. Verstappen already has two championships and is very well on his way to his third, while the Mexican has failed to even qualify for Q3 in his last five consecutive races. Even though some good recovery runs have been seen from him, he hasn’t been able to replicate the same form he showed at the start of the season, when he was projected as a contender.

Rosberg said, ”It is happening now with Perez as well. He is fast, but he can’t keep up with Max. Mentally it is so difficult to accept that your teammate is better. I know because I was in the same situation with Hamilton. It’s incredibly tough to have such a strong driver next to you.”

With 12 races remaining this season and the Mexican being 99 points behind his teammate, it remains to be seen whether he can still turn the tables around and prove his doubters wrong. While he has already admitted that a championship isn’t his target anymore, he still has to prove his worth to the F1 grid and also prove the fans he deserves his seat with the top F1 team.

Discover more:

• Red Bull admits that cost cap pressure hampers the team’s upgrade efforts
• Williams has hit the jackpot by recruiting the ‘calm and confident’ Alex Albon, admits team executive Dave Robson

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