Max Verstappen Praises McLaren as F1’s Top Contenders with “Best Driver Line-Up

Max Verstappen, Red Bull’s star driver, has recently acclaimed McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris as the “best driver line-up” in Formula 1. This statement follows McLaren’s impressive performance, marked by their recent Sprint race victory and double podium finishes.

Key Takeaways:

• Max Verstappen has acknowledged McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris as the strongest driver duo on the F1 grid, emphasizing their consistent performances and threat to Red Bull.
• McLaren’s recent successes, including a Sprint race win and consecutive double podiums, have significantly narrowed the gap with Red Bull, with Verstappen noting their increasing competitiveness.
• With only five Grands Prix remaining in the season, McLaren’s advancements pose a potential challenge to both Ferrari and Aston Martin in the championship standings.

In a remarkable turn of events in the F1 world, Max Verstappen, the acclaimed Red Bull driver, has openly praised the McLaren team, specifically drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, as the “best driver line-up” currently on the grid. This commendation comes on the heels of McLaren’s stunning performance at the Qatar Grand Prix, where Piastri clinched the first Sprint race victory for the team, and both drivers achieved consecutive double podiums this season.

Verstappen’s acknowledgment of McLaren’s prowess is not only a testament to their recent successes but also highlights the narrowing gap between the Papaya car and his RB19, now reduced to a mere five seconds. His comments underscore McLaren’s rising status as a formidable contender against Red Bull’s dominance.

“The Dutch driver is of the opinion that not only has McLaren declared itself as the most consistent intimidation to the Red Bull establishment, but it also sports the strongest driver pairing among the other teams closing in on the Red Bull,” Verstappen remarked.

Verstappen’s assessment of McLaren’s performance was unreserved and candid. He told the media, “I do think that as a team they [McLaren] are probably the most consistent, compared to the others behind us. I do think they have the best driver line-up out of all of them, so they are operating really well. It’s going to be interesting to the end of the year, but also I think the start of next year to see where everyone is at.”

The recent Grand Prix in Qatar also marked a slight departure from Verstappen’s usual dominance earlier in the season, signaling a tightening of the field, particularly from McLaren and Mercedes. Verstappen acknowledged this shift, adding, “I do think we had a bit more pace in hand if we really needed it but nevertheless, I don’t want to take anything away from McLaren. They’ve been doing a great job and from us, we see that they are getting closer and closer, so we have to try and maintain a bit of a gap. McLaren is making great steps forward throughout the whole year. From our side, we’ll try to improve a little bit this year, but of course mainly for next year.”

As the season progresses, McLaren’s achievements, including closing the gap to Aston Martin by eleven points, are not only commendable but also strategically significant. With five more Grands Prix before the season’s end, McLaren’s potential to overtake Ferrari for the third spot in the championship is increasingly plausible, adding more excitement and unpredictability to an already thrilling F1 season.