Verstappen should have been disqualified from F1 Spanish GP, says Rosberg

Nico Rosberg believes Max Verstappen should have been disqualified from the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix after colliding into George Russell with three laps remaining. 

Verstappen had a poor safety car restart on lap 61 having immediately lost third to Charles Leclerc down the start-finish straight. 

Both drivers banged wheels in the process though, which irked Verstappen who then had to defend from a Russell divebomb down the inside of Turn 1.

The two drivers also banged wheels and Verstappen was forced into using the escape road which kept him ahead. Verstappen believed he was in the right on both occasions, yet Red Bull still instructed him to hand fourth place to Russell on lap 64.

This angered Verstappen even more, so he slowed down into Turn 5 appearing to let Russell by, before suddenly speeding up again and colliding into the Mercedes.

Although no damage was caused, Verstappen eventually received a 10s penalty which dropped him from fifth to 10th – yet Rosberg thinks it should have been a disqualification. 

“It looked like a very intentional retaliation,” the 2016 world champion said on Sky Sports F1.

“Wait for the opponent, go ramming into him, just like you felt the other guy rammed into you at Turn 1.

“That’s something which is extremely unacceptable and I think the rules would be a black flag, yes. If you wait for your opponent to bang into him, that’s a black flag.”

Rosberg believes the penalty was “a very lenient one”, yet could have been avoided had Red Bull not told him to let Russell overtake. 

“The first one was George’s fault because he went in too hot [at Turn 1], oversteered out and tapped Max who then had to use the escape road – that’s not the way to do the pass,” said Rosberg.

“Red Bull messed up by saying let George pass. That really annoyed Max because he knows George rammed him off.

“In Max’s eyes he’s like 100 per cent in the right. ‘Why are you telling me to do this, watch this I will show you what he did’, slowed down and rammed into him which is even worse. To slow down and ram into another driver is pretty bad.”