The backlash against Max Verstappen's reaction to the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix results has continued after Nico Rosberg joined the chorus criticising the Red Bull ace for his post-race comments.
Reigning world champion Verstappen looked mightily impressive as he surged from a 15th-place start on the grid to finish second behind team-mate Sergio Perez on Sunday. The 25-year-old couldn't help but comment he was personally "not happy" with the outcome and "not here to be second."
Red Bull is off to the ideal start in its title defence, having clinched back-to-back one-two finishes in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, with Verstappen and Perez claiming one win apiece. But the former's reaction highlighted once again Verstappen's disregard for team values, leading ex-Mercedes star Rosberg to slate Formula 1's incumbent.
"I think that's weak at first," the 2016 world champion told Sky Sports F1. "What kind of sign is that for the whole team?" Footage later circulated of Verstappen's father, Jos, also refusing to join the celebrations following Perez's win, looking stone-faced as 'Checo' revelled in the earliest race victory he's recorded in any campaign to date.
Although the season is still in its earliest phases, Red Bull's constructor points tally (87) is already more than double that of Aston Martin in second (38). Having spent so much of his driving career playing second fiddle to Lewis Hamilton at Brackley, Rosberg knows better than most the sacrifice required to form a winning team in F1.
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"It is not good to see that [Verstappen's reaction] really," the German continued. "Also, [on Saturday], he left the track very quickly and skipped the team meeting apparently, that is what we have been told.
"That is not a good approach, not a good mentality this early in the season when the team has done such a brilliant job with the car and is working so hard. He could be a little bit more gracious, I would say."
The early warning signs look ominous for the rest of the grid following another dominant Red Bull display in Jeddah. Both Perez and Verstappen were more than one second-per-lap faster than their peers, boosting the latter's quest for a third consecutive world championship.
Verstappen's surge from the back was even enough to convince Hamilton the RB19 is 'the fastest car he's seen' to date, with a two-horse race for the title emerging already. And while Perez may be more content just to know Red Bull remains in power, Verstappen's priorities appear to be more selfish.
Formula 1 will welcome another fortnight-long respite before the season picks back up with the Australian Grand Prix on April 2. Red Bull have unfinished business in Melbourne after both their drivers failed to finish last year's race, and a third straight one-two of the campaign would really separate them from the field early on.
