Nico Rosberg Reveals 'Most Annoying' Formula 1 Rival

Former world champion, Nico Rosberg, says he is a "huge fan" of Max Verstappen but has also labelled the Dutchman the "most annoying" rival from his Formula 1 (F1) career.

Allnews reports that the German athlete had plenty of run-ins with Verstappen, who has built a reputation as one of the sport's fastest and most combative racers.

Taking questions from fans on the Sky F1 Vodcast, the34-year-old selected Verstappen as the most tiresome driver he has raced against - citing battles during the climax to his title-winning 2016 season.

"I'm a huge fan of his, he's an amazing driver and so good for F1, so much fun to watch," said Rosberg.

"But my god, having him around in the races! The risk of a DNF for myself, it increases like ten-fold.

"On my way to the championship, I had him around me every race in the last four races. He passed me I think in three of those four races, in a tussle."

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Verstappen moved from Toro Rosso to Red Bull in 2016, and Rosberg had to pass the youngster in the season-ending Abu Dhabi GP to come out victorious in the championship.

Since Rosberg's retirement, Verstappen has won seven more races and was a favourite for the 2020 title before the season's delay due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.