11/04/2025 12:00
Max Verstappen insists he was not "joking" when he claimed he could
perform stronger in the McLaren, after Lando Norris responded to
his comments. Post the Japanese GP where he pulled off a famous
win, Verstappen claimed that if he had been driving the MCL39 of
Norris and Oscar Piastri he wouldn't have "been seen" in the race,
as Red Bull battles to try and get its RB21 into a more competitive
position. Norris invited Verstappen to test the McLaren and said
that he would "be excited to see the disappointment on his face
after he gets out", claiming that the McLaren package does contain
weaknesses. However, Verstappen doubled down on his claim when
presented with Norris's comments. "I was not joking," Verstappen
told media in Bahrain. "You thought it was a joke? No, it wasn't a
joke. "We know how hard and how narrow our window is with the car,
and then you get that question, 'What would you do in another car?'
Well, I gave you an honest answer. "But I also said in that same
interview that it is not going to happen anyway, so there is no
need to speculate about it." Who do you think will win the 2025 F1
Bahrain Grand Prix? Let us know by voting in the poll below and in
the comments!
