"Where does Nico Rosberg get off monitoring sleeping habits?": F1 pundit blasts Max Verstappen critic for questioning sim race pre-Hungarian GP

Peter Windsor has slammed Nico Rosberg and company over their inputs on Max Verstappen's pre-race routine in Hungary. Rosberg, along with a few others, commented on the Red Bull driver's sleeping habits and sim racing ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, which did not go well with Windsor.

Verstappen reportedly raced in the virtual 24 Hours of Spa till 3 am the night before the Hungaroring race. Mentioning this, Rosberg told Sky Sports F1 that Norris went to bed by 11:05 PM and was up by 08:05 AM the next day.

The former F1 world champion commented after Verstappen had a turbulent race at Hungaroring where he experienced multiple on-track tussles and radio skirmishes with his race engineer. However, Windsor did not appreciate these comments.

"What I make of it was if Lando followed Max's routine, probably he wouldn't have given the win to Piastri to be honest," Windsor said in an interview with Cameron F1. "Where does Nico Rosberg get off monitoring sleeping habits of these drivers? I mean give me a break."

"Max is over 21, he knows how much sleep he needs, he knows how to prepare a Grand Prix, he knows how to think it through. If he wants to be on the edge, fine. If he wants to have 12 hours of sleep, fine as well. But, there's a balance and Max as he always said that he found that balance very easily, and very well," he added.

Similar to Rosberg, David Croft also remarked on Max Verstappen. Following the race, the Sky Sports F1 commentator said the Dutch driver might not have slept well.

Red Bull blasts Sky Sports over their Max Verstappen comments

Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20 on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on July 21, 2024, in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)

Red Bull's top brass hit back at Sky Sports F1's broadcast team following their remarks on their star driver Max Verstappen. Team principal Christian Horner said he thoroughly trusts Verstappen's judgment. Helmut Marko, the advisor to the team, had something more to say.

"Max has a different rhythm to me or other people and the time he went to bed is nothing out of the ordinary for him. He didn't even wake up at 10 o'clock in Zandvoort when the helicopters flew over his motorhome. He's got his sleep quota. He's had it as usual. That's rubbish," Marko said (via ESPN).

Max Verstappen finished the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix in P5 after starting the race from P3. His immediate rival Lando Norris ended his Hungaroring campaign in P2 and trimmed his Championship gap to the Red Bull driver by 76 points.