Ferrari team boss Frédéric Vasseur has dismissed Max Verstappen’s controversial claim that he could have won the past F1 season with a McLaren as nonsense. At the same time, the Frenchman praises the four-time world champion from Red Bull for always maximizing his performance. “Even when they were struggling, he did that,” Vasseur said.
“It makes no sense to think or say that Verstappen would have won the same with another team as he did with Red Bull,” Vasseur told Italian Autosprint. “It’s impossible to separate a driver’s performance from that of his car. There are so many aspects to consider.”
Earlier, Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc also expressed that he didn’t take Verstappen’s comment, made in the euphoria of winning his fourth world title, very seriously. The Monegasque called it ‘a bit far-fetched’. Lando Norris (McLaren) was slightly more offended and suggested that Verstappen might want to consider a career in comedy.
In the interview, Vasseur was mainly positive about Max Verstappen’s performance. “What impressed me about Verstappen this year was his ability to maximize, even when they were struggling. And this is a lesson for us,” said Vasseur, whose team Ferrari came second in the constructors’ championship, behind McLaren. “Because over the course of a season in such a competitive context, there are always races where we are not the strongest, but then it is necessary to maximize the result. To win, you have to make a difference when you’re not in the best position, and that’s where Max Verstappen made the difference.
