Max Verstappen Declares the MCL39 Would’ve Made Him Untouchable in 2025

Max Verstappen doubled down on his previous claims that he would've dominated the grid much more if he were given McLaren's MCL39 car.

Max Verstappen Declares the MCL39 Would’ve Made Him Untouchable in 2025

Lando Norris and Max Verstappen (via Red Bull)

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Max Verstappen suffered from a rollercoaster of a performance in the 2025 season, courtesy of the RB21’s unstable pace. The Dutchman showcased glimpses of dominance in the year and achieved a meteoric comeback in terms of points by the end of the season.

However, it wasn’t enough to bridge the two-point deficit against Lando Norris for the title win. Now, Verstappen recalls his previous comments claiming that he would’ve gone off in the distance with McLaren’s MCL39.

Red Bull couldn’t quite nail the final year of the ground-effect era despite dominating a majority of the regulations. Max Verstappen, on the other hand, managed to score impressive results despite struggling with balance and pace in the RB21.

During his peak struggling days, out of frustration, he made a bold claim that he would’ve been dominating like the 2023 season if he were given McLaren’s MCL39, and make much more of it than Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were.

Though these comments saw a stern response from Lando Norris, Max Verstappen was still confident in his claim. The Dutchman now doubled down on his previous comments and asserted that he was stating mere facts and not opinions. Verstappen continued that his comments did not mean to poke fun at Norris and Co.; rather, it was his honest self speaking on the matter.

Further, Max Verstappen continued his quip by claiming that he did not speak the things consciously or subconsciously and regretted his words. He reiterated that these were facts, and he would indeed dominate the grid more than he did currently if he were given the MCL39. Verstappen reckoned that no one had to agree with his take, but at the end of the day, it was his honest opinion on the matter.

That’s just a fact! It’s not meant to poke anyone. Not consciously, not subconsciously. It’s simply a fact. No one has to agree with it, but that’s how I see it. That’s my opinion.

Max Verstappen told Formule1.nl.

Max Verstappen claims some people “won’t like to hear” his critical opinions on McLaren

Max Verstappen was the biggest threat to McLaren and their championship ambitions in the 2025 season. Max Verstappen managed to achieve a stellar comeback from a point deficit of 104 points down to just two points after the season finale in Abu Dhabi. As such, he remained confident that if he could perform so well in Red Bull’s struggling RB21, one could only wonder what he could’ve done with the MCL39.

Max Verstappen (via Getty)
Max Verstappen (via Getty)

Max Verstappen acknowledged that many people wouldn’t like hearing his take on the matter, especially the McLaren crew. However, he did not pay attention to what others thought and did not mean to provoke them anyway.

Verstappen simply gave his answer to the question of the what-ifs of him having McLaren’s challenger. Finally, the Dutchman reiterated that whatever he said were straight up facts and not bait comments.

Some people might not like hearing it, but that’s not really my problem in the end. I’m not saying it to bait or provoke anyone, but when I’m asked something, I usually just give an answer. And yes, it’s a fact.

Max Verstappen noted.

Well, Max Verstappen has showcased what he could do if provided with an utterly dominant challenger back in 2023. The Dutchman won 19 of the 23 races that year and shattered multiple records along the way. As such, Verstappen doesn’t need to prove himself and his racing prowess anymore, especially after his shocking resurgence in performance in the 2025 season.

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