Rosberg: 'I think Ferrari is faster than Red Bull Racing at the moment'

Although Max Verstappen has opened up a considerable gap on Charles Leclerc in a short space of time, the Monegasque has been able to narrow it over the last few races. At Silverstone, he was helped by a piece of carbon fibre, but in Austria, Ferrari were clearly the best team.

Nico Rosberg is not convinced Red Bull Racing is the fastest team, despite Verstappen setting the fastest time in FP3. "I think F1 is as exciting as ever, the title race is still very much on. Ferrari still fast, I would say they still have the edge over Red Bull," the former driver told the Sky Sports F1.

Even during a race weekend, the balance can change significantly between Red Bull Racing and Ferrari. For example, Ferrari were faster in FP2, but Verstappen's long runs looked better. Rosberg thinks that is due to lower downforce for the Dutchman.

Clash between Verstappen and Leclerc

At the French Grand Prix, Verstappen and Leclerc could potentially be fighting each other directly again, with overtakes on the track. Rosberg is surprised that things are still going so well between the two because both drivers have already met each other many times at Grands Prix.

The former Mercedes driver reckons it will come down to a clash between the Dutchman and the Monegasque. With so many direct fights, it is bound to end in 'a wheel bang or a different opinion about an incident.' Indeed, Rosberg is even hoping for one, because 'as a fan, we want to see things heating up a bit more.'