Jos Verstappen has claimed there’s a “clear difference” in how the McLaren cars are handling on track as Oscar Piastri’s Formula 1 title bid continues to unravel.
McLaren experienced a setback last weekend in Las Vegas as extensive rear plank wear caused both cars to be excluded from a race that Max Verstappen won.
Prior to that, though, Piastri had once again lagged behind team-mate Lando Norris as he crossed the line outside the podium places for the sixth straight round.
Verstappen Sr, who had insisted that Piastri should be more vocal about his downturn earlier this month, has signalled again that something is amiss at McLaren.
Meanwhile, the Dutchman also believes that the pressure that Red Bull’s resurgence has imposed contributed to the misjudgement McLaren made in Las Vegas.
“The pressure at McLaren is now full on, and they will feel that,” Jos explained to Formule1.nl.
“It is still the case that if Max wins the remaining races and Norris comes second every time, then Norris will be World Champion.
“But Oscar Piastri is also still there and he won’t be very happy at this point either.
“You can see a clear difference between both McLarens on the track, how they go through corners. One slides, the other doesn’t and that raises questions as well.”
Verstappen questions mistakes made by McLaren
Throughout Saturday’s race, both Piastri and Norris were seen with sparks under their cars, prompting the question: ‘Why did McLaren choose to run as low as it did?’
“This is a big mistake by McLaren, a huge blunder yes,” Verstappen Sr added. “Because why would you really go to the limit like that?
“Maybe it really was a mistake, but maybe otherwise the car just doesn’t work as well and they have to do this.”
Whilst Verstappen remains hypercritical of the mistakes from McLaren, it has created a clear pathway for his son to potentially secure a fifth consecutive Drivers’ title.
“I spoke to Max before leaving. He already knew then that they would be disqualified,” he divulged.
Heading into the Qatar Grand Prix, Verstappen sits on 366 points, tied with Piastri for second. The pair both reside 24 points behind championship leader Norris.
Jos admits that, regardless of the result, it has been a monumental season for the Dutchman, who trailed over 100 points behind Piastri with 15 rounds completed.
“In any case, it’s going to be a hugely exciting end of the season, and for Max, everything has to fall right. But he still has nothing to lose and can go full for the attack. And he will.”
READ MORE – Lando Norris claims McLaren race pace has ‘taken a bit of a hit’
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