Max Verstappen outlines 'incredible' McLaren strength in Red Bull message

Max Verstappen has delivered a clear message to Red Bull: it must "try" to replicate McLaren's "incredible" medium-speed performance.

The reigning world champion appears set to suffer the first failed title defence of his F1 career, having fallen 97 points behind Oscar Piastri.

With 10 rounds remaining, Verstappen requires a miracle to secure a fifth consecutive F1 Drivers' Championship. 

His deficit is not due to his own performance, but rather the struggles of Red Bull's RB21, which has proven to be a difficult car.

McLaren, by contrast, has flourished. The MCL39 has emerged as one of the most dominant cars in F1 history.

The Woking-based outfit has won 11 of the 14 completed Grands Prix and could surpass 1,000 points this season.

A key strength of the British team has been its medium-speed cornering performance, along with superior tyre management in both dry and wet conditions.

According to Verstappen, McLaren's tyre management is even more impressive in the wet, and the way the car rotates is unmatched on the current grid.

"[The McLaren] is definitely better on its tyres, to keep the tyres alive a lot nicer," Verstappen told RacingNews365 in Hungary. 

"You can clearly see that in the wet on the intermediates, where if you have good tyre management, [tyre preservation] even comes out more on that tyre, because the tyre is more fragile. 

"It overheats even faster, and they definitely have that very well under control. At the same time, I think their medium speed performance is incredible compared to, I would say, everyone else on the grid. 

"The rotation that they have on the front axle without losing the rear is something that, yeah, it's also quite incredible to see, and that's something that we have to try and achieve."