Max Verstappen spares no one, especially after taking home an important victory like Japan’s, which gives him such a boost that he allows himself to loosen up a bit. That’s exactly what happened in the post-race interviews regarding McLaren.
The Dutchman left everyone speechless when, after seeming on par with Ferrari and Mercedes in qualifying, he snatched pole position from the two McLarens. The Red Bull driver then managed to maintain the lead of the race without ever feeling truly threatened by the two cars behind him, which were, on paper, faster than his RB21.
While part of the F1 world “bowed” to Max Verstappen’s ability to do the nearly impossible with a car that, at the moment, should be the third or fourth strongest, there was also some confusion over McLaren’s questionable choices.
Despite having the fastest car, the papaya team generally appeared passive throughout the race, almost as if accepting that they had to surrender to the superiority of the four-time world champion.
Of course, the difficulty of overtaking at Suzuka affected everyone, with only 15 overtakes completed during the entire race and more than half of the drivers finishing in their starting positions. At the same time, though, there remains the feeling that the Woking team could have done more.
McLaren too conservative?
Some spoke about the option of splitting strategies between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, extending the first stint to try and challenge the Dutchman later on. Instead, McLaren brought the Briton into the pits at the same time as the Dutchman, who came out ahead once again.
Others suggested the possibility of swapping the two papaya cars, as in the second half of the race Oscar Piastri appeared faster than Norris. The Australian could have tried to chase Verstappen and, if he failed, simply given the position back to his teammate.
But again, McLaren chose not to act and settled for second and third place. A nearly submissive attitude that certainly didn’t go unnoticed in the paddock.
Even Max Verstappen, with his usual subtle humor, commented on the opponents’ questionable decisions. In particular, interviewed by Dutch broadcaster ViaPlay, he pointed out that if he had the chance to drive a car as fast as the McLaren, we wouldn’t see him on track anymore.
Verstappen: “I wouldn’t want to even think about it if I were in the other car”
Interviewer: “In the McLaren?”
Verstappen: “You wouldn’t see me anymore!”
Interviewer: “You’d already be in Tokyo!”
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