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'If Max were in the other McLaren right now, he would devour Oscar alive'

14:10, 17 Jun

Updated: 14:12, 17 Jun

byTobia Elia

Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are having a strong season at McLaren, but according to F1 analyst Peter Windsor, both drivers would completely pale in comparison to Max Verstappen

Following the collision between Norris and Piastri in Canada, Windsor looks back at the dynamics between the two McLaren drivers and speculates what would happen if Verstappen were to replace one of them.

“You had all those patronizing radio messages in Hungary,” refers Windsor to the 2024 race. “Like: Lando, do what’s right for the team, if you want us to support you in the championship. Well, he didn’t win that championship at all. And now we're here, and Oscar Piastri is about to blow him away in the 2025 World Championship.”

“What was Hungary worth then? Seriously, explain it. You have all this honking on the radio — exaggerated responses, which are then taken out of context and blown up all over the world. That’s the last thing a driver needs when you’re trying to become world champion.”

What would happen if Verstappen were in place of one of the two McLaren drivers?

Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, and Max Verstappen during the press conference in Barcelona.

‘Max would devour Oscar alive in a McLaren’

Windsor believes that Verstappen would perform much stronger in exactly the same circumstances as both McLaren drivers: “If Max were in the other McLaren right now, then he would devour Oscar alive, as far as I'm concerned. And vice versa just as much. Max would do better in all respects than Lando.”

“The two of them just have a different skill set,” he continues. “But neither of them is on the level of Max in that car. That's why Max is still doing what he does in a Red Bull — which wasn’t even as good as the Mercedes in Canada.”

According to Windsor, Verstappen still shows why he is a three-time world champion, even when the material is not optimal. For McLaren, that means one thing above all: the bar is set much higher than what is currently being shown.