Verstappen jabs at Brown: 'With McLaren I'd become champion sooner'
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- Nicole Mulder
For Max Verstappen, the moment came earlier than he himself expected: at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, he secured his fourth Formula 1 world title. That opportunity presented itself thanks to the dominant performance at Interlagos, with which the Dutchman silenced many critics. After the race at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit, Verstappen elaborated on that.
Verstappen expected to fight with Norris until the end of the season
It is a little after three o'clock local time when Verstappen enters the Red Bull hospitality to talk to the press after securing his title. The four-time world champion - who admits to having had a few drinks already - pulls open a can of Red Bull before joining a select group of Dutch media, including GPblog.
A few races ago, even before Verstappen delivered a merciless blow to title rival Lando Norris at Interlagos in the rain, the F1 championship looked very different. At that time, therefore, he did not think it would possible that in Las Vegas - with two races to go - he would already be crowned world champion, Vestappen explained answering a question from GPblog. "I really did think we would fight until the last [weekend]. Then luckily the rain came in Brazil. That worked out well," he said with a big smile.
Verstappen: 'In a McLaren I would have been the champion even sooner'
It was certainly not an easy year for Verstappen, who says he did not have the fastest car for about 70 per cent of the season, since the Miami GP. He immediately confronted McLaren CEO Zak Brown about that when the American came to congratulate him in the paddock, albeit with a wink. Talking to the Dutch press, the Red Bull driver revisited that.
"Things like that only motivate me," Verstappen said. "If people are critical and think I can only win in the best car, I prove them wrong." As a result, he thinks he will also get more credit from critics now than what perhaps was the case in 2023. "If I don't get it now, I don't know what else [I'd need to do]," Verstappen laughed.
Asked whether he would have won the title earlier with a McLaren, Verstappen does not hesitate for a moment. "Yes, even sooner," he says firmly. In a Ferrari, he does not think he could have done much more than Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, and in a Mercedes it would have been even trickier, he admits.
Looking back on his three other world titles, Verstappen also elaborated on whether he could won a title with a different cars from 2021 until 2023. "In 2021 too. 2022 might have been tricky, they (Ferrari) were a bit too fragile for that, I think. 2023 I don't think so," he added, laughing.
Does the Red Bull driver think anyone else could have won the title driving his cars over the years? "Then we are in the right place in Vegas. You can bet on that. All I can say is: I wish them good luck!"
This article was written in collaboration with Kada Sárközi
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