Martin Brundle believes Lando Norris “shouldn’t have bitten” after Max Verstappen had a dig at his title rival. The Dutchman’s jibe came after he held off both Norris and team-mate Oscar Piastri to win the Japanese Grand Prix last Sunday.
He did so in a Red Bull car which was inferior to the McLaren machines his rivals were using. But despite that performance difference, Verstappen was able to keep both at arm’s length throughout the Suzuka race to convert pole position into his first victory of 2025.
Speaking afterwards, the four-time champion raised eyebrows by suggesting he would have won at a canter if he was in one of the McLaren cars. And he stood by that claim when he was quizzed about it ahead of this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix.
When asked if he had a response to Verstappen’s dig, championship leader Norris said he and Piastri were confident in their ability and invited his rival to drive the McLaren and see that it is not as easy as the Dutchman was making it out to be.
But Sky Sports F1 favourite Brundle is not sure his fellow Brit should have done that. When asked if he felt Verstappen was having a go at the McLaren team or directly at Norris and Piastri, Brundle replied: “Both,” as he suggested the Brit might have taken his rival’s bait.
He said: “It was two-fold. It was to give his team a hurry-up and to poke the two McLaren drivers. Direct hit, because they both went on the defensive. Risky strategy, because what Max is saying there to the 1,500 people back at base who’ve just given him a race-winning car is ‘Your car is not very good’.
“That can motivate them, but both McLaren drivers – certainly Lando there – said a bit the same thing about his car, ‘Have a go in it, you’ll be disappointed Max’. They shouldn’t have bitten on that one. It was quite clever psychology from Max.”
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Verstappen’s victory at Suzuka moved him to within just one point of Norris at the top of the drivers’ standings. Piastri is in third place, 13 points behind his team-mate who the Australian named as the man best placed to become champion this year.
“On the one hand, as the current World Championship leader, [Norris] actually has the best chance of winning the title,” he told Germany’s Sport Bild. “On the other hand, our car is the best in Formula 1. I’m not in my this season and I feel like I’m finally where I want to be.”
Verstappen’s surprise win in Japan, though, served as a reminder that he can never be counted out even when his car is inferior. And Piastri sent a similar message as he reflected on the threat posed by their Red Bull rival.
He added: “Of course, you can’t write off Max. He’s a four-time world champion and won the title last year despite being at a material disadvantage.”
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