F1, Max Verstappen – Charles Leclerc “friends”? Rosberg lapidary

Rosberg dismisses viral video with two rivals laughing together: ‘The duel is tense’

A video capturing Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc laughing together while looking at some images on social media has gone viral in recent days. Compared to last season, in which Lewis Hamilton and the Dutch driver clashed with no holds barred on and off the track, this year the duel for the World Championship seems more like a matter between friends, but former world champion Nico Rosberg strongly disagrees.

“These are just some snapshots that do not represent the true picture of the situation between the two drivers,” the 2016 world champion explained to Eurosport. “They have known each other since childhood and know that they are great talents, but I don’t think these scenes really represent what the situation is like. Even in 2016 between me and Lewis there were scenes where we laughed together, but underneath, the duel is very tense. Although the Ferrari driver is now far behind in the championship and is not a threat to Max now, in a little while things could be different, especially if some controversial situations happen between the two on the track.”