Who slept best last night: Nico Rosberg

When the most insightful Formula 1 reporter in Spa is a former racing driver, it says a lot about the current state of an entire profession – or rather, how dire things have become in terms of critical journalism. Especially in a paddock increasingly flooded by a phenomenon called ‘influencer’.

And let’s be honest – if something sounds like a disease, it could certainly act like one.

Still, it’s merely a symptom of a broader zeitgeist that, in 2025, doesn’t stop at the gates of the F1 paddock. People who are enthusiastic about everything – as long as they’re allowed inside – are far easier to manage. They’re more compliant when PR handlers want to dictate not just headlines but entire stories. They don’t push back when teams deny access to press briefings or even resort to legal action against unwelcome reporting.

And yet, there seems to remain one small, defiant village in this largely occupied F1 empire – a flicker of hope. Fittingly, the figure who embodies that resistance sports a hairstyle reminiscent of Cacofonix, the long-haired bard from Asterix, who routinely gets gagged so no one has to listen to him.

A sentiment that many of the once-proud voices of critical F1 journalism can relate to. It’s telling that, in their place, it’s now Nico Rosberg – in his role as TV pundit – who dares to ask the uncomfortable questions. It helps, of course, that Rosberg quite simply doesn’t give a damn – which may be why more than one paddock personality in Spa probably wished they had a gag to hand.

Exhibit A: Jos Verstappen. On the starting grid with Sky Sports F1 on his UK broadcasting duties, Rosberg confronts him directly over his past criticism of Red Bull team principal Christian Horner: “Last year, you said Horner had to go because he was destroying the team,” Rosberg begins.

Lando Norris, McLaren, 3rd position, is interviewed by Nico Rosberg, Sky Sports F1, after the Sprint race

Verstappen shrugs, interrupting him: “That was a year and a half ago. So, it’s different,” he says, adding, “I’ve got nothing to say. It’s fine.” Rosberg presses on: “Now you’re quiet?” Verstappen leans forward, confused. Rosberg repeats: “You’re quiet now?” “I’m always quiet,” Verstappen snaps back – clearly irritated.

The awkward exchange is just the opening act. Rosberg continues firing off uncomfortable questions left and right. His next target: his own Mercedes successor, Valtteri Bottas. “New deal with Cadillac?” he asks bluntly. Bottas plays deaf: “I can’t hear you.” Rosberg insists: “So just rumours, yeah?” Bottas, again evasive: “There are a lot of rumours in this sport.”

Even current drivers like Lando Norris and Andrea Kimi Antonelli don’t escape unscathed. More and more, Rosberg has become the kind of pundit he himself – back in his racing days – would probably have hated: brutally honest, relentlessly persistent, unafraid of confrontation. He puts his finger on every wound with the precision of someone who knows exactly what he’s talking about – because he’s been there.

Norris, who had another error-strewn afternoon, becomes the subject of Rosberg’s post-race critique: “He was half asleep when the race restarted,” Rosberg says, dissecting the Brit’s performance. “And later on, he made three more mistakes – the kind of errors a Hamilton or Verstappen simply wouldn’t make.” All this while McLaren boss Zak Brown is standing right next to him. Rosberg, undeterred, turns to him cheekily: “You saw that too, didn’t you?”

Nico Rosberg, Sky F1, on the grid

“No friends, no family – leave them all at home. Leave behind anything that distracts you. Prepare with the team, get in the simulator, double your sim time at the factory. Just preparation, preparation, preparation. That’s the best thing he can do,” Rosberg insists.

Whether this kind of stern, old-school advice – and the sharp tone he often takes – wins him many friends is doubtful. But frankly, Rosberg doesn’t seem to care. A perfect example? His former team boss, Toto Wolff. Even when it comes to the Austrian and his ongoing contract talks with George Russell, Rosberg can’t resist letting us in on a little secret.

“It’s horrible negotiating with Toto – because his tactic is to just disappear,” laughs the former Mercedes driver. “So if you’re George now trying to get hold of him, Toto’s already gone. He even knows how to avoid the blue ticks.” Apparently, no special WhatsApp settings required for the Silver Arrows’ team boss.

With a grin, Rosberg adds: “As soon as your message pops up on his screen, he’ll only read the first few words and won’t even open it properly. I remember that well from my time – it was always his style: vanish, don’t reply, be unreachable. And that’s horrible, because it gives you no chance.”

Rosberg certainly knows how to offer compelling insights from behind the curtain – into the inner workings of an F1 team. What helps, of course, is that he’s still deeply connected in the paddock and that his own driving days weren’t all that long ago. He raced against many of today’s stars – and clearly still knows exactly how the game is played.

But perhaps even more important than Rosberg’s technical expertise is his integrity – his clarity of opinion, his directness, and his ability to speak his mind without, unlike some of his fellow pundits, constantly putting himself in the spotlight.

Martin Brundle, Nico Rosberg and Simon Lazenby

His deliberate refusal to play along with the increasingly sanitised rules of F1’s tightly-managed media circus is refreshing. Rosberg is finally asking the uncomfortable questions. That said, it’s only fair to acknowledge that Rosberg’s status as a world champion certainly helps. It elevates him beyond doubt, giving his voice an authority in almost any discussion.

There was, however, one moment in recent years when Rosberg himself clashed with F1’s many unwritten rules – quite literally finding himself excluded: during the COVID years, when strict F1 protocols suddenly barred the former world champion from the paddock. He was forced to dial in remotely, standing outside the gates with a small TV crew like an outcast on the fringes of the great circus.

Sky stuck with their most valued expert – and rightly so. Rosberg’s multilingualism allows him to switch effortlessly between international broadcasts, making him even more valuable to the network.

Still, Rosberg’s rise in the world of television hasn’t come without its cost. This writer experienced this firsthand at last year’s season finale in Abu Dhabi. After an enjoyable private chat with him and Augusto Farfus – whom I know well from DTM – I asked Nico if I could record a few quotes from him. He politely but firmly declined: “I don’t do print anymore.” The message was clear: he was done with the written press.

It was a surprising development, but in hindsight, so be it. If journalism truly is in decline in this age of TikTok, AI, and clickbait – then so be it. Long live Rosberg on TV. As long as he keeps delivering like he did on Sunday in Spa, we will all be better for it.

Photos from Belgian GP – Race

Jacky Ickx, Oscar Piastri, McLaren

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Rain in the pitlane

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Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Team

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Eliska Babickova, girlfriend of Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

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Jenson Button

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Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

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George Russell, Mercedes

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Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

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Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team

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A fan wears a headband made of LEGO F1 cars

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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren

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Lando Norris, McLaren

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Toto Wolff, Mercedes

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Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls Team

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Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

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Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team

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Pierre Gasly, Alpine

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Toto Wolff, Mercedes

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Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

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Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren

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Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls Team, Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team

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Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls Team, Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team

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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Carlos Sainz, Williams

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Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing, Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Team

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Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

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George Russell, Mercedes, Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team, Alexander Albon, Williams

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View of the fanzone

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Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing

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Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing

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Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber

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Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team, Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber

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Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

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Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing Team, Alexander Albon, Williams

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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

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Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Laurent Mekies, Red Bull Racing Team Principal

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Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

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