Last weekend, amid celebrations for his fourth consecutive Formula 1 title, mathematically secured at the Las Vegas circuit, Max Verstappen made some remarks that raised eyebrows among certain paddock insiders.
The Dutch champion, shortly after the race ended, stated that if he had been driving the SF-24 or MCL-38, the fourth title would have come “much earlier” than it did on the track with an RB20 that was far from the dominant car of the previous season.
These statements were not well received by either Charles Leclerc or Lando Norris. The latter, in particular, appeared quite irritated by the words of the four-time world champion:
“He should start doing stand-up comedy or something like that,” commented the Briton while speaking with the media, including in the Losail paddock on the eve of the Qatar GP – “He can say whatever he wants. Naturally, I completely disagree, as I think anyone would. He’s strong, but it’s not true.” – he pointed out.
The Englishman added: “Max has shown that he has beaten everyone he’s faced. It’s tough for any teammate.”
“Red Bull would probably have won the Constructors’ Championship if they had two drivers as good as Max, that’s certain. This is clear and evident. It shows that as a team, they probably did the best job. It’s tough.”
“It has nothing to do with me. I don’t care. He can have all the teammates he wants.”
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