Riccardo Patrese warns McLaren: Max Verstappen can be a threat even without the fastest car. Riccardo Patrese warns McLaren not to underestimate Max Verstappen.

McLaren out of bonus lives
Max Verstappen has proudly carried the #1 on his car for the past three seasons, following his first F1 title win in 2021 and consecutive championship victories in 2022, 2023 and 2024. However, matching Michael Schumacher’s historic five consecutive titles with Ferrari from 2000 to 2004 looks increasingly unlikely. Verstappen is currently third in the Drivers’ Championship, 43 points behind leader Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull’s RB20 still lags behind the performance of the McLaren MCL39.

So far in 2025, Max Verstappen has won twice — in Suzuka and Imola — matching Lando Norris in total wins, but Oscar Piastri already leads with five victories. With 14 races remaining, Riccardo Patrese believes that writing Max Verstappen off in the title fight would be a serious mistake — especially after the costly clash between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in Canada, which nearly led to a double DNF for McLaren. In Riccardo Patrese’s view, McLaren has used up its margin for error.

“If McLaren keeps letting their drivers race freely, what happened in Canada will keep happening,” Riccardo Patrese told Listofsweepstakescasinos.com. “If Red Bull finds even a slight improvement in their car, Max Verstappen will be right there to cause them real trouble. He’s one of those champions you’d place in a kind of Super League — the type who can make the difference even without having the best car on the grid.”