Rosberg on 'phenomenal' Verstappen: 'Max's performance was historic'

Nico Rosberg won one world title after a fierce battle with teammate Lewis Hamilton in 2016. Last season wasn't as exciting as that year in F1. The 38-year-old German is hoping the competition can make things a little harder for Max Verstappen in 2024.

Verstappen won 19 of 22 races this year, Red Bull Racing as a team missed out on victory in just one weekend (Singapore) this year. The RB19 is a lot more competitive than the other nine cars on the grid, but Rosberg does not want to put the stamp of 'dominant' on Verstappen and Sergio Perez's car.

"We have to know that it’s not really the dominance of a team, it’s the dominance of a driver," Rosberg commented to City A.M. "If you look at where Sergio Perez was, he was all over the place. We just have to respect that the performance from Verstappen is historic and the greatest seasonal performance of all time. And he’s already easily nearing to be a top five driver of all time. It’s phenomenal."

More competition in 2024?

The regulations remain stable next year, which means Red Bull - and with it Verstappen - is once again in a very good position. Early on, the Austrian racing team could already shift their focus to developing the RB20. Still, Rosberg hopes Verstappen will have a tougher time.

"I do hope that other teams or drivers can give Verstappen a run for his money.“I expect people like Lewis and George [Russell, Mercedes] to be the best candidates, and of course McLaren if they’re able to continue their progress," said the former Williams and Mercedes driver, who sees even more potential challengers. "I mean there’s Lando Norris [as a potential world champion], there’s George and Charles Leclerc.”