Rosberg jokes Hamilton ‘should have been listening’ after Italian GP FP3 mistake

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Nico Rosberg joked that Lewis Hamilton ‘should have been listening’ to the 2016 F1 champion after the Mercedes star’s ‘aggressive’ mistake in FP3 for the Italian GP.

Mercedes were off the pace in practice on Friday with Hamilton penning the 17th fastest lap time in FP2. The seven-time Formula 1 driver’s champion’s best run around the Autodromo Nazionale Monza was just 1:22.783. While George Russell came home in P9 with a 1:22.176.

Carlos Sainz set the fastest lap time in FP2 for Ferrari with a 1:21.355 to delight the Tifosi at the track. Mercedes were more competitive during morning running with Hamilton in P8 on a 1:23.269 and Russell in P5 with a 1:23.189. Yet Russell was still half a second off the pace.

Mercedes struggle at Monza after Hamilton and Russell sign new contracts

Hamilton and Russell had arrived at the Italian GP hot off of signing new contracts to stay at Mercedes through the 2025 F1 season. The Britons committed their futures to the Brackley-based team on Thursday. Hamilton was set to be a free agent at the end of the current year.

This year has been another frustrating season for Mercedes with Red Bull 285 points ahead in the constructor’s championship. Hamilton only ranks fourth in the driver’s standings with 156 points and Russell sits in seventh with 99. Max Verstappen leads the way on 339 points.

Rosberg jokes after Hamilton’s ‘aggressive’ FP3 mistake at the Italian GP

Saturday running did not show much promise for Mercedes early on after a mistake into T1 by Hamilton. The Stevenage-born star attempted to carry too much speed into Variante del Rettifilo and locked his front right tyre. It forced Hamilton to straight-line the first chicane.

Rosberg reacted to Hamilton’s mistake live during FP3 at the Italian GP and joked his ex-Mercedes teammate should have listened to his advice for how to take Variante del Rettifilo.

“Here we go, 220 miles per hour, brake at 110 [metres] and he got that inside lock-up,” said Rosberg on Sky Sports F1 (02/09, 11:41). “He should have been listening to us, seriously.

“He turned in too aggressively, had too much brake force on the pedal, so the front inside as it came up on the inside that front because the car is rolling over when you steer, the front locks up. When the front locks up, you lose all your front grip and you just go straight on.

“You see him react aggressive, super aggressive, and turns in, front inside locks and then your grip is gone. So, here, he brakes exactly at the 100-metre board, bam, oh just before. And then the moment he turns in, he had way too much brake pedal still on.

“He saw he was arriving way too fast. So, you still have to try to slow the car down and that front locks and you’re gone. You have no chance after that as so much understeer comes.”

No driver has won more Italian Grands Prix than Hamilton

Rosberg won the 2016 Italian GP from pole-sitter Hamilton en route to beating his Mercedes teammate to the F1 title. The German crossed the line 15 seconds clear of the 38-year-old in P2 at Monza. While Hamilton has won the Italian GP in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018.

No driver has won the Italian GP more regularly than Hamilton or Michael Schumacher with five. Schumacher won at Monza driving with Ferrari in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2006. But Hamilton’s sixth Italian GP win is unlikely in 2023 after finishing FP3 half a second down.