Max Verstappen made a striking statement after the Japanese Grand Prix, stating that if he had been in McLaren, they wouldn’t have seen him anymore. Therefore, the debate of the week is this: ‘Verstappen would have dominated Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri if he drove for McLaren’.
At Suzuka, Verstappen took a shock pole position behind the wheel of the tricky RB1 on Saturday to get himself ahead of the dominant McLarens.
After that, the papaya coloured cars were unable to match the Dutchman on Sunday, unable to find the extra pace required to get to the front, breaking open the 2025 title race.
After the race, Verstappen responded to the question of whether he makes a difference in Red Bull. The four-time world champion replied: “I am, of course, very happy with what I do. I don’t even want to think about being in that other car [McLaren]. You wouldn’t have seen me then.”
Would Verstappen perform significantly better in McLaren?
Do you think Verstappen would indeed have been much faster in McLaren? Or do you think the Dutchman underestimates the qualities of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri’s car? Vote below in the poll on what you think and share your opinion in the comments.
This article was written in collaboration with Cas van de Kleut
