Sky Sports F1 Podcast: Max Verstappen and Red Bull are in ‘legendary’ Formula 1, says Nico Rosberg | F1 news

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Nico Rosberg has hailed Max Verstappen and Red Bull’s 2023 Formula 1 dominance as “legendary” and says the World Series leader’s recent performances have been “like art”.

Verstappen won Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix to claim his seventh and Red Bull’s 12th consecutive race victory, the latter breaking McLaren’s record which had stood since 1988.

With both Verstappen and Red Bull holding huge advantages in the drivers’ and constructors’ standings – 110 and 229 points respectively, attention is starting to turn to how many records they can break together in the remaining season.

2016 world champion Rosberg talked about Red Bull’s performance in Hungary Sky Sports F1 Podcast: “Let’s continue with the legendary as the Red Bull team broke the legendary historical record of McLaren winning 11 races in a row. They now have 12 so it’s an incredible milestone.

“And Verstappen himself drives in such a legendary way. I mean, he drives like one of the top five or six of all time, in line with (Ayrton) Senna, (Michael) Schumacher, (Lewis) Hamilton and (Juan Manuel) Fangio, and then he starts to struggle. [to think of more names] already.”

Verstappen’s personal run has seen him join Rosberg as one of five drivers to win seven consecutive F1 races, with only Sebastian Vettel, who won nine in a row in 2013, surpassing the Dutchman’s current streak.

The 25-year-old’s recent form has been made all the more impressive by the relative struggles of his teammate Sergio Perez. He has not finished in the top eight in the last six races and finished on the podium just twice.

“I mean what an honor to be in that sentence as part of that,” Rosberg said. “Seven in a row, yeah, that was pretty cool.

“It’s really incredible, such a performance from Max. And I said it with him in the post-race interview – that I’m one of the people who can best judge his performance at the moment and the level at which he’s riding.

“And yes, it doesn’t really make for the most exciting races at the very front. But it’s so deserved because it’s incredible his level, so close to perfection all the time.

“You have to compare with a team-mate, see where Sergio Perez is. His best qualifying result in the last six GPs was ninth on the grid, can you believe, in the same car.

“And Sergio is a really good driver, we know he can drive a racing car. So Max is absolutely exceptional.”

“Verstappen must be careful not to get complacent”

Verstappen will look to continue his and Red Bull’s streak at this weekend’s Belgian GP and Rosberg has warned the Dutchman must be careful to avoid complacency.

“It’s more of a general thing that he usually has to be careful not to get complacent,” Rosberg said.

“He’s in such an incredible flow where nobody can touch him, and then there’s usually a risk of getting complacent and you lose a bit of motivation, so he’s just got to be a bit careful about that.

“But I don’t see that happening because his mental state is phenomenal and he’s so focused and so in the zone all the time.

“It’s like art, it’s amazing.”

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Sky Sports F1 live Belgian GP schedule

Thursday July 27
2 p.m.: Drivers’ press conference

Friday July 28
8:55 a.m.: Formula 3 practice
10 a.m.: Formula 2 practice
At 12:00 Belgian GP Practice One (session starts at 12:30)
1:55 p.m.: Formula 3 qualifying
2:50 p.m.: Formula 2 qualifying
15:35: Qualifying for the Belgian GP
4 p.m.: Qualifying for the Belgian GP
18:00: Ted’s certificate of qualification

Saturday July 29
8:55 am: Formula 3 sprint race
10.30am: Belgian GP Sprint Shootout line-up
11 am: Belgian GP Sprint Shootout
12:40 p.m.: Formula 2 sprint race
2:30 p.m.: Belgian GP Sprint build-up
15.30: BELGIAN GP SPRINT
5pm: Ted’s Sprint Notebook

Sunday July 30
7.25am: Formula 3 Feature Race
8.55: Formula 2 Feature Race
12:30 p.m.: Grand Prix Sunday – Belgian GP line-up
At 14:00 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX
4 p.m.: Checkered flag – Belgian GP reaction
5 pm: Ted’s notebook

Next up is the Belgian GP, ​​the last race before F1’s summer break – watch all the Sprint weekend sessions live on Sky Sports F1 from 28-30 July. Stream the Belgian GP and more with NOW.