Max Verstappen offers X-rated reaction in blunt McLaren championship assessment

Max Verstappen has insisted McLaren is doing the right thing by letting Oscar Piastri continue to challenge Lando Norris for this year’s drivers’ title, insisting he would tell the team to ‘eff off’ if asked to play second fiddle.

Norris holds a 24-point advantage over Piastri heading into the Qatar Grand Prix, with Verstappen tied on points with the Australian in what is a three-way fight for the championship.

Max Verstappen: ‘Perfect’ McLaren team can ‘eff off’

Norris remains in the box seat for the title, though it remains far from certain that a McLaren driver will win the title.

While Piastri remains in mathematical contention, the Australian will not aid his teammate’s efforts as he looks instead to maximise his own title chances.

For Verstappen, the outcome is a title battle against two individuals, given that the presence of both McLaren drivers in the fight means neither can have the team’s undivided support.

“It’s perfect,” Verstappen told PlanetF1.com and other accredited media in Qatar.

“I think you can’t do a better job than allowing them to race,”

“Why would you suddenly now say that Oscar wouldn’t be allowed [to fight for the title] anymore?

“If that was said to me, I would have not rocked up. I would have told them to eff off.

“If you are a real winner and a racer as a driver, then you go for it. I mean, even if you are behind, what’s the point otherwise to turning up?

“Otherwise, you can easily just label yourself as a number two driver, which I think he [Piastri] doesn’t want to be.”

McLaren has long taken the position that it will not force one of its drivers to sacrifice their chance of the title to assist the other.

Where there have been team orders, they’ve been employed in an attempt to establish fairness above preference – even if that has appeared misconstrued at times.

It’s also an approach Verstappen has benefitted from.

With a healthy points lead post-Zandvoort, McLaren could have easily shut down the drivers’ had it thrown its support solely behind Piastri.

Instead, Norris has mounted a fightback that has seen him take the points lead as Piastri began to struggle for form.

Meanwhile, a strong run from Verstappen has allowed the Dutchman to move uncomfortably close to the top of the points standings, much to his own disbelief.

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“Probably after that race [Dutch GP], when I got home, I was like, ‘That’s it. We’re checked out of the championship.’ But after that, we had a really good turnaround,” Verstappen said.

That coincided with a floor upgrade for the Italian Grand Prix, though Verstappen has been on the podium at every race since finishing second to Piastri in Zandvoort – including four wins.

“We definitely understood the car a bit better, put upgrades on the car,” Verstappen explained.

“So, all in all better together, with probably some mistakes as well on the other side and us maximising quite a few results meant that we are [in title contention].

“I’m happy with it. I would have been a bit happier if we would have had a better first half, but that’s how life is.

“You cannot turn back in time and then change it, but overall now until the end, we’ll just try and do the best we can.”

Verstappen’s recovery has defied the odds, leaving him 24 points from Norris, tied on points with Piastri, after having been 104 off the pace leaving Zandvoort.

“A lot still needs to go right,” Verstappen said of his title hopes.

“But I think it should be like that, that they are free to race, and hopefully we can make it a great battle ’til the end.”

Read next: Oscar Piastri’s emphatic answer to ‘number two’ role question