Formula 1’s dynamic duo, Nico Rosberg and Jacques Villeneuve, have criticised Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc for incidents during their Italian Grand Prix duel.
The 2016 champion got a stern rebuke from his former teammate and Max Verstappen for his analytical comments at Monza, resulting in Rosberg promising to “change my tone”.
But in his post-race weekend YouTube vlog, he admitted a little satisfaction at seeing Hamilton’s win chances end the same way his had done in 2014.
“I was very happy to see actually he made a similar not so smart move as I did five years ago,” he said.
“I thought I was the only dumb person at the time that would go straight on at the first chicane and actually give up a place.
“To go around those polystyrene blocks takes forever. Lewis did the same and gave up the position to Valtteri which made me feel a little better for once.”
The world champion had been complaining of increasing wear in his medium tyres before the lock-up which dropped him to third, having shadowed Leclerc since his pit-stop.
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But it was actually an earlier error at the same corner by the Monegasque which Rosberg claims saved him the victory.
“Leclerc cut the chicane and he did that much smarter than I did by jumping over those lumpy kerbs and not losing any time,” he said.
“I went straight on through the polystyrene blocks and that is how you lose a position and Lewis went on to win.”
The 1997 F1 champion Villeneuve took a much dimmer view on the Ferrari driver though…
“He shortened the first chicane and was further ahead at the exit than at the entrance and there was no investigation,” he told Motorsport-Magazin.
On the more controversial moment when Leclerc edged Hamilton off track approaching the second chicane, the Canadian was just as unhappy.
“It’s hard to say this because when you tell the truth, everyone says “Oh, you’re an idiot! Why do you say something like that, we loved that!” he said.
“But you have to judge him the same as any other rider, and this Sunday he did a [Kevin] Magnussen, that’s the truth. He sent Lewis into the gravel.”
