Oscar Piastri does not believe Max Verstappen was serious with his claim he would have dominated the Japanese Grand Prix in McLaren’s car.
But the Red Bull driver insisted he was not joking with his comments, made to Dutch media, after his Japanese Grand Prix victory.Verstappen led McLaren’s Lando Norris and Piastri home by 2.1 seconds at Suzuka. Afterwards he said he would have left both well behind had he also been in a McLaren.
Asked whether he thought Verstappen intends his comments as a joke, Piastri said: “Yes, but I think if Max had qualified third and we were first and second, it probably would have looked quite different as well. So I think it was light-hearted.”
Verstappen beat Norris and Piastri to pole position by less than five hundredths of a second, then kept them behind throughout Sunday’s race to claim his first victory of 2025.
“Qualifying made a very big difference,” said Piastri. “I don’t think it’s normal to have two cars sitting two seconds behind the leader for 50 laps.
“So I think it was kind of clear to see that our car was quicker but I think the gaps would have been quite different if we had been the other way around from the start as well.”
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But the Red Bull driver stood by his remarks today. “I was not joking,” he said. “You thought it was a joke? No, it’s not a joke.
“We know how hard and how narrow our window is with the car. Then you get that question, what would you do in another car? Well, I give you an honest answer.
“But I also said in that same interview that that is not going to happen anyway so there is no need to speculate about it.”
Piastri acknowledged the difficulty Red Bull’s drivers have had with their car and said he doesn’t have any desire to drive an RB21. “Clearly the car looks pretty difficult,” he said.
“I think we’ve seen that with Liam [Lawson], we saw with Checo [Perez] last year, even with Yuki [Tsunoda] in Japan.
“So again, I think going into an environment where that has been so focused on the way Max drives for nearly 10 years now, I think it would be a very tough environment to go into and have immediate success. I’m quite happy that I’m driving a McLaren and not a Red Bull at the moment.”
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2025 Japanese Grand Prix
- McLaren has to accept upsetting either of its drivers sometimes – Stella
- Verstappen ‘can test our car, I look forward to seeing his disappointment’ – Norris
- Verstappen insists McLaren domination claim was ‘no joke’ after Piastri’s doubt
- Extra mandatory pit stop won’t create more passing at tracks like Suzuka – Sainz
- Mercedes took note of Verstappen’s out-lap tactics after stunning Suzuka pole position
Ferdi
10th April 2025, 16:37
Ofcourse he was joking. I think everyone should be aware by now that Max takes a disinterested attitude towards the press and tries to hold a mirror up to them (or rival teams or team bosses) by little sneerings regarding all the nonsense topics they spread and perpetuate. In this case, we can assume it was a sneer towards the “can only do it in the fastest car” theme.
Charles
10th April 2025, 16:57
Clearly he wasn’t joking.. Max in a Mclaren would have taken pole more easily, then he would drive away in clear air, something Max couldn’t do in a car less quick.. Piastri needs to work on his qualification laps, instead of talking who is joking or not, he is the joke at the moment..
Potsie (@potsie159)
11th April 2025, 4:52
Piastri was directly answering a question put to him in the drivers Press Conference, are you suggesting he should not have answered the question?
Charles
11th April 2025, 16:37
I am suggesting Piastri should get better in quali so he won’t get these questions
Leo B
10th April 2025, 16:49
Oscar, you would dominate in your McLaren if you would just stop making little mistakes in Q3.
Edvaldo
10th April 2025, 16:53
I didn’t think it needed to be addressed.
But it says that he knows he’s the better driver, even Zak Brown knows, and these two should be doing a better job, not allowing him to take slices from their pie. It should’ve been three 1-2s already and they got only one.
Jim from US (@jimfromus)
10th April 2025, 18:35
VER believes he can win in any car. Other drivers hope they can win even when they are driving the fastest car.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
10th April 2025, 20:36
Verstappen is realistic, he didn’t say any car, atm it’s just 3 cars; from ferrari onwards there’s no way.
MacLeod (@macleod)
11th April 2025, 7:59
@jimfromus Max said in a McLaren he would win and not any other cars (Probally he would do well in a Mercedes and Ferrari but that was not he said)
Dex
10th April 2025, 19:36
I don’t think that anyone sane doubts that. He won it in the Red Bull, on merit. When he had a dominant car, he used to win by 30, 40, 50, 60 and more seconds, with potential for more. Why would this be a joke? If he won is a fourth or so best car, it’s a logical assumption that it would be easier to do so in the best car of them all.
One thing is certain. Neither Norris nor Piastri would’ve won this in the Red Bull. Hell, they didn’t manage to do it in McLaren.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
10th April 2025, 20:37
Except he won in the 2nd best car, let’s not exaggerate.
Edvaldo
10th April 2025, 21:57
Red Bull is tricky, but fast. A driver like Max would rather have a fast, tricky car than an easy and slower one any day of the week.
In terms of speed, they seem to be 2nd fastest.
RH
12th April 2025, 9:52
They are behind Mercedes just on pace alone, as with all these things, Mercedes drivers like McLaren drivers keep bottling qualifying.