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Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc's 2022 rivalry could serve up even more feisty encounters as the season progresses, according to former Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg.
With 19 possible races still to go, the German has predicted a collision between Verstappen and his challenger Leclerc could be on the cards.
Speaking on Sky Sports F1, the 2016 world champion said:
"It's not as fiery yet but, believe me, if they keep at it like that, there will come a point where they will be touching, colliding and things will get a bit more feisty. I'm looking forward to that."
Rosberg himself is no stranger to incidents and collisions with title rivals, given his history with Lewis Hamilton.
Verstappen and Leclerc have both been involved in multiple overtakes, wheel-to-wheel action, and mind games in the first four rounds without making contact. However, both drivers have been known to get their elbows out when threatened, so a collision between the pair seems like an inevitability.
"They've been slow all year" - Max Verstappen after lapping Lewis Hamilton at 2022 F1 Imola GP
Max Verstappen was not surprised to lap Lewis Hamilton on his way to winning the 2022 F1 Imola GP.
The two title protagonists of 2021 had contrasting races at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari. While Verstappen romped to his first Grand Slam of the year, Hamilton struggled home in P14.
When asked about lapping the seven-time world champion and if it came as a shock, Verstappen said:
“I mean, they’ve been slow all year so it’s not really a surprise or I feel happy lapping Lewis [Hamilton] compared to anyone else. But it is what it is. This shows how wrong we’ve got it.”
The Dutchman scored 34 points over the course of a fruitful race weekend for him and Red Bull. He qualified on pole for the Sprint before dramatically trouncing Ferrari's Charles Leclerc on the penultimate lap.
Verstappen would then dominate the feature race on Sunday, winning and climbing to P2 in the World Drivers' Championship standings in the process.
He will look to add to his impressive display at Imola in the upcoming 2022 F1 Miami GP.
