F1 news roundup: Nico Rosberg calls out Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc dig live on air

2016 F1 World Champion Nico Rosberg is not famed for his sense of humour
Friday’s fast-paced F1 news roundup leads on Nico Rosberg, who took exception to a cheeky dig while discussing the potential state of play between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc at Ferrari in 2025.
No time to waste, so let’s dive straight in…
F1 news: Nico Rosberg on Lewis Hamilton vs Charles Leclerc and more
Nico Rosberg unimpressed by cheeky Lewis Hamilton dig
Nico Rosberg did not take kindly to a cheeky dig by Karun Chandhok while discussing the potential dynamic between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc at Ferrari in 2025.
Rosberg, who memorably took exception to a teenage presenter referring to him as “Britney” during a live commentary last year, had a strained relationship with Hamilton during the pair’s spell as Mercedes team-mates between 2013 and 2016.
And Chandhok could not resist bringing it up in a debate over how Hamilton and Leclerc might get on next year, leading to Rosberg calling him out.
Read more: Nico Rosberg hits out at ‘not nice’ conflict dig amid Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari prediction
Chinese Grand Prix data examined
We introduced an exciting new element of our coverage during the Japanese Grand Prix, delving deep into the data to understand where the race was won and lost.
Sprint qualifying may have ultimately been a washout in Shanghai, but the hour-long practice session on Friday still provided vital pointers – from long-run comparisons to top-speed charts – to indicate how the rest of the Chinese GP weekend may play out from here.
We already love our daily analysis of the data and we hope you do too.
Read more: Chinese Grand Prix data: What we learned from practice on Shanghai Sprint Friday
Max Verstappen admits Red Bull got what they deserved
Max Verstappen has admitted Red Bull got what they deserved in sprint qualifying in China, having struggled in the wet conditions in SQ3.
Verstappen could only manage fourth on the grid for Saturday’s sprint race in Shanghai, with the World Champion ruining two flying laps by running wide in the slippery conditions.
Rather than huffing and puffing and blowing the house down after the session, Verstappen simply held up his hands.
Read more: Max Verstappen holds hands up after uncharacteristic qualifying: ‘It’s what we deserve’
Lance Stroll casts doubt over own F1 future
Lance Stroll has appeared to openly cast doubt on his F1 future for the first time, claiming Fernando Alonso’s multi-year commitment to Aston Martin does “not necessarily” persuade him to follow suit.
Having largely struggles alongside Alonso since the start of last season, some have speculated that Stroll could opt to walk away from F1 at the end of 2024.
The Canadian did little to calm the rumours by issuing a cryptic response when quizzed about his own future in China.
Read more: Lance Stroll’s cryptic ‘not necessarily no’ response when quizzed on F1 future
Christian Horner at odds with Helmut Marko over Carlos Sainz status
In what is potentially another sign of growing inter-team tensions at Red Bull, Christian Horner has publicly disagreed with Helmut Marko over the potential availability of Carlos Sainz for 2025.
Marko claimed this week that Sainz has received a “very lucrative offer” from Audi that Red Bull are unable to match.
Horner has offered more guarded view, sharing what he thinks of Marko’s move to discuss Sainz’s status so openly.
Read more: Christian Horner contradicts Helmut Marko’s Carlos Sainz ‘lucrative deal’ inside info