Verstappen adds fuel to McLaren fire: ‘I wasn’t joking’

Max Verstappen insists he was not "joking" when he claimed he could perform stronger in the McLaren, after Lando Norris responded to his comments.

Post the Japanese GP where he pulled off a famous win, Verstappen claimed that if he had been driving the MCL39 of Norris and Oscar Piastri he wouldn't have "been seen" in the race, as Red Bull battles to try and get its RB21 into a more competitive position.

Norris invited Verstappen to test the McLaren and said that he would "be excited to see the disappointment on his face after he gets out", claiming that the McLaren package does contain weaknesses.

However, Verstappen doubled down on his claim when presented with Norris's comments.

"I was not joking," Verstappen told media in Bahrain. 

"You thought it was a joke? No, it wasn't a joke. 

"We know how hard and how narrow our window is with the car, and then you get that question, 'What would you do in another car?' Well, I gave you an honest answer.

"But I also said in that same interview that it is not going to happen anyway, so there is no need to speculate about it."

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