Max Verstappen issues McLaren warning: 'They better watch out'

Max Verstappen has declared the McLaren drivers must “watch out” at the start of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as he seeks to protect his lead.

Verstappen will start the race from pole position, having outpaced Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who will start second and third respectively.

The Dutchman sits 12 points down on Norris in the standings, with the Briton only needing a podium finish to ensure he walks away with the title.

But with Verstappen having the best starting position for Sunday's grand prix, he declared his intentions for when the lights go out.

“They better watch out,” Verstappen told Viaplay. 

“I have nothing to lose, so we're just going to go for it. If we have to defend, we'll defend. 

“If we have to attack, we'll attack. And have fun. That's the most important thing.”

Norris can afford to run a slightly more reserved race compared to his rivals due to his lead in the standings.

However, it has been theorised that Verstappen could ease off his pace and force the pack to run closely, creating a strategy headache for McLaren - although team boss Andrea Stella countered the argument by suggesting it will place Verstappen in danger of an undercut.

Regardless, the four-time champion understands he needs luck to swing in his favour if he is to emerge from the race with another title in hand.

“Let's see what we can do,” Verstappen said. 

“Of course, I'll try to win the race, but also in the back of my mind, we want to try and score a lot of points to still try and win that championship. 

“So, we need a bit of luck from what is happening behind us.”