Nico Rosberg backs Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari claims: “Not driveable”

Former Formula 1 champion Nico Rosberg has backed Lewis Hamilton’s claims that the Ferrari SF25 is “not driveable.” 

The seven-time champion had a frustrating first day of practice ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, confirmed through his radio messages to his race engineer, Riccardo Adami.

Rosberg was trackside at the time as part of the Sky Sports F1 broadcast. The 2016 champion, who was in position to observe the cars’ behaviours up close on track, shared ahead of the third practice session on Saturday:

“I was out there trackside watching Lewis and Charles, and I can confirm that the Ferrari is not driveable. It had more understeer than the others, and more snap oversteer. There was a bit more of everything going on.

“But they’re still in the hunt because, apparently, even with the balance problems the car is still relatively fast, especially on the long runs.”

Ferrari team chief Fred Vasseur acknowledged the British driver’s frustration while speaking to Sky Sports F1 following Friday’s sessions. He explained:

“I think we had a very good pace this morning, we struggled a bit more in the afternoon. We had a decent lap with Charles before the mistake at Turn Seven, it was an advance on P1. But the target is to put a lap together, not to do some good corners.

“Then we struggled a bit more at the beginning of each of the long stints. I think it was true for us but true for a couple of other cars. The track was very dirty with a lot of marbles. Overall, it was a long day and we collected also good information. It was the first time we were running the new front wing, and we’ll have a lot of work tonight.”

He added: 

“The comments [from Hamilton] were a bit extreme on the radio today but he did also a strong last stint with the soft [tyre], in the lap time of the first two. It means that perhaps the car was not as horrible as he said on the radio. But again, for me, the comments that they are making in the car are not a drama, as long as they are back and we have a constructive debriefing.”

Rosberg questioned Vasseur on the difficulty of the SF25. The Ferrari chief confirmed:

“It’s not a secret that we are struggling a little bit with the balance of the car. We have to improve on this, but as long as we are able to correct it and to have a good race, then fine. But it was the case the last couple of weekends.

“We have to improve on one lap, but I think it’s more tyre management and to put the tyres in the right window at the beginning of the lap, than something else. The balance is not perfect, it’s true. But it’s true for us, I also think it’s true for the others.”