It all started with one quote from Max Verstappen:
“If I was in the McLaren… then you wouldn’t even have seen me.”
Lando Norris immediately clapped back:
“He can come and test our car any day that he wants. I’ll be excited to see the disappointment on his face after he gets out.”
The paddock lit up. Fans began writing Max-to-McLaren fanfiction. And then Max doubled down:
“I was not joking. You asked a question—I gave you an honest answer. I also said it wasn’t going to happen anyway.”
From that moment on, the conversation morphed into the most F1 thing ever: endless commentary about comments made in response to previous comments. And just as the chaos peaked, another layer dropped: the McLaren rear wing flex.
Max on McLaren’s Wing: “I Don’t Make the Rules”
Footage from Suzuka showed McLaren’s rear wing visibly flexing more than Red Bull’s—despite new regulations meant to limit that exact behavior. The FIA received no complaints. When asked, Max gave a very PR-polished answer:
“I don’t make the rules. And I don’t have to enforce them either. What I see, a lot of people probably see, but that’s it. I focus on our car.”
But it’s clear: even as the rivals go head-to-head, Red Bull (and Max) are watching. Carefully.
Tsunoda: “Incredible How Max Copes With It”
In the same week, Yuki Tsunoda peeled back the curtain on what it’s actually like to drive Verstappen’s car—or even something close:
“It’s incredible how Verstappen can cope with it.”
The RB21? Built for Max. Demanding, twitchy, unforgiving. Yuki didn’t say it directly, but the implication is clear: most drivers would sink. Max sails. And yet, Yuki isn’t afraid of the challenge. He’s been speedrunning: rookie seasons in F3 and F2—top 10 and P3 finishes, points on debut in F1, and he’s still developing, still pushing. Red Bull seems to be easing him in the right way. He wasn’t ready early—but he might be now.
Liam Lawson is seen as the more polished product: multiple years in F3 and F2, DTM vice champion, Super Formula experience, nearly 10 years in cars. But that might be his ceiling. Meanwhile, Yuki’s raw pace, combined with now-hard-earned experience, could elevate him higher in the long run.
Piastri: Red Bull Is a Max Machine
Oscar Piastri weighed in with his own measured take:
“The Red Bull looks difficult. The whole environment is built around Max. I’m quite happy driving a McLaren.”
That quote echoes louder now, knowing just how hard even talented drivers find the Red Bull setup. And how Max makes it look effortless.
Alonso: “He’s the Best. And He Earned It.”
In the middle of the chaos, Fernando Alonso—two-time champ, eternal truth-teller—gave Verstappen his flowers:
“He’s the best. He has reached a level where the rest of us are not yet. […] Except for 2023, Max fought for all his championships. He didn’t cruise.”
Alonso’s use of the word “yet”? Iconic. Fernando Alonso, 2026 WDC. Let me dream.
The only thing that can reset the noise? A race.
Let’s hope Bahrain delivers wheel-to-wheel action, not another three days of parsing whether Max blinked when he said “wasn’t joking.”