Rosberg back in simulator and weighs in on Verstappen’s Las Vegas GP criticisms
Lewis Hamilton previews Las Vegas Grand Prix
Nico Rosberg recently hopped back on the F1 simulator to get a taste of the Las Vegas Grand Prix circuit, which proved a big hit among F1 fans at the weekend. Max Verstappen delivered stinging criticism of the event in the lead-up to Sunday’s race, but the Red Bull star changed his tune after taking his 18th win of the season.
The Nevada city hosted its first-ever Grand Prix last time out, and they have signed an agreement with F1 to stage the race for nine more years. It was unclear whether it would provide ample entertainment, and a chaotic Friday practice opened organisers up to fierce criticism.
But the race itself provided one of the most entertaining contests of an otherwise dreary season, in which Verstappen has dominated on an unprecedented scale.
The Dutchman came through to win the Grand Prix, while Charles Leclerc passed Sergio Perez on the final lap to decide the last two podium spots.
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“From the get go, it looked like an awesome track,” Rosberg, who ran several laps on an F1 simulator before the race, told The Daily Mail. “Because it’s all about battles and overtaking – and we saw that.
“Even the fight for second place, changing positions there with an incredible daring overtake on the last lap, like two corners from the end. That’s what we want to see. And that’s quite unique because you don’t have that often.
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“So I think they nailed it with the track layout… I think it’s going to be one of the great races for the next ten years. A must-see on the calendar.”
Verstappen was scathing in his assessment of the glitzy event leading up to the weekend, with the 25-year-old previously voicing concerns about F1 bosses expanding the calendar. Last week, he referred to Las Vegas as the ‘National League’ of racing, with Monaco dubbed the ‘Champions League’.
After taking the chequered flag first, however, Verstappen changed his tune by singing ‘Viva Las Vegas’ and admitting to reporters that the race was ‘a lot of run’.
Rosberg added: “[I applaud him for being] so open minded that he could change his opinion in such a sense and really be convinced otherwise, that actually it’s an awesome race weekend.”
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