Max Verstappen jokes about dominating McLaren drivers if he were behind the wheel of their faster MCL39, leaving Lando and Oscar trailing.
Verstappen made a light-hearted comment about what would happen if he were driving the McLaren MCL39, suggesting that Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri would be left far behind.
After securing his first win of the 2025 season at Suzuka, Verstappen jokingly reflected on the difference a faster car could make, especially given the challenges he faces with his Red Bull RB21.
Verstappen triumphed in Japan with a narrow one-second lead over Norris, despite the British driver pushing him throughout the race. While Red Bull has had a solid start to the season, the RB21 doesn’t yet seem to match the performance of the McLaren MCL39, which is dominating the Constructors’ Championship.
McLaren’s strong start, with victories in Australia and China, has only increased the pressure, but Verstappen has kept himself firmly in the fight for the Drivers’ Championship. He pulled off an unexpected pole position at Suzuka, underlining his resilience and speed. Despite the difficulty of overtaking at Suzuka, Verstappen held off the two McLarens behind him for all 53 laps of the race, making no mistakes and successfully defending his title bid.
After three races, Norris leads the championship with 62 points, just one ahead of Verstappen.
Commenting on his win and the result, the four-time world champion joked about how things could have turned out differently if he had been in a faster car: “I’m really happy with what I’m doing right now. But I can’t imagine what would happen if I were driving the other car,” he said. When asked if he meant the McLaren, Verstappen responded: “Yes, you wouldn’t see me again! Lando or Oscar would be miles behind.”
To which someone humorously added, “You’d already be in Tokyo!”
“Exactly!” Verstappen replied with a grin.
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Verstappen Claims McLaren Drivers Would Be Left Behind! Verstappen Claims McLaren Drivers Would Be Left Behind!