Max Verstappen has doubled down on his claim that he would have wrapped up the Formula 1 title earlier than Lando Norris had he driven McLaren’s 2025 car.
Verstappen sustained a late-season charge to push the McLaren drivers to the wire, but Norris did enough in the last race in Abu Dhabi to pip him by two points.
Red Bull’s RB21 began the year off as an unpredictable car with a narrow operating window, resulting in a lack of competitiveness through the mid-season.
This led to feisty and heated radio exchanges with race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase during practice and qualifying as he wrestled a car far from his liking.
“It’s mainly a matter of being clear with each other,” Verstappen told Dutch publication formule1.nl.
“Pointing out what was good and what wasn’t, what needs to be changed and what doesn’t.
“I always say: if it’s good, it’s good, and that needs to be said. But if it’s bad, that needs to be said too. That certainly applies to me as well.
“If I do something wrong, that definitely needs to be said.”
Verstappen probed on McLaren statements
Verstappen insisted that he can deal with criticism that is directed towards him, provided he feels like there is some substance to the comments that are made.
“If it’s substantiated, yes, definitely!” he expressed.
“If someone just blurts something out, yes, that’s obviously no use to me.
“But then I don’t care. It’s of no use to me. And a lot of what’s written goes over my head.
“My father reads everything. So if I need to know something, I ask him or he tells me.
“I don’t follow Formula 1 much in the media either. It doesn’t interest me.”
Verstappen quipped that he would have “been in Tokyo” had he been driving the McLaren when he won at Suzuka in April, a remark which he admits he stands by.
“Haha, but that’s just a fact! It’s not meant to be provocative,” he clarified. “Not consciously or unconsciously.
“It’s just a fact. And no one has to agree with that, but that’s how I feel about it.
“That’s my opinion. Some people won’t like to hear it, but ultimately that’s not my problem.
“I’m not saying it to rile anyone up or provoke them, but when I’m asked a question, I usually just answer it. And yes, it’s a fact.”
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