Oscar Piastri doesn’t imagine Max Verstappen was severe along with his declare he would have dominated the Japanese Grand Prix in McLaren’s automobile.
However the Pink Bull driver insisted he was not joking along with his feedback, made to Dutch media, after his Japanese Grand Prix victory.
Verstappen led McLaren’s Lando Norris and Piastri dwelling by 2.1 seconds at Suzuka. Afterwards he stated he would have left each properly behind had he additionally been in a McLaren.
Requested whether or not he thought Verstappen intends his feedback as a joke, Piastri stated: “Sure, however I believe if Max had certified third and we had been first and second, it most likely would have regarded fairly totally different as properly. So I believe it was light-hearted.”
Verstappen beat Norris and Piastri to pole place by lower than 5 hundredths of a second, then stored them behind all through Sunday’s race to assert his first victory of 2025.
“Qualifying made a really huge distinction,” stated Piastri. “I don’t suppose it’s regular to have two vehicles sitting two seconds behind the chief for 50 laps.
“So I believe it was sort of clear to see that our automobile was faster however I believe the gaps would have been fairly totally different if we had been the opposite manner round from the beginning as properly.”
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However the Pink Bull driver stood by his remarks at this time. “I used to be not joking,” he stated. “You thought it was a joke? No, it’s not a joke.
“We all know how onerous and the way slim our window is with the automobile. Then you definately get that query, what would you do in one other automobile? Nicely, I offer you an sincere reply.
“However I additionally stated in that very same interview that that’s not going to occur anyway so there isn’t any want to take a position about it.”
Piastri acknowledged the problem Pink Bull’s drivers have had with their automobile and stated he doesn’t have any want to drive an RB21. “Clearly the automobile seems fairly troublesome,” he stated.
“I believe we’ve seen that with Liam [Lawson], we noticed with Checo [Perez] final 12 months, even with Yuki [Tsunoda] in Japan.
“So once more, I believe going into an atmosphere the place that has been so centered on the best way Max drives for practically 10 years now, I believe it could be a really powerful atmosphere to enter and have speedy success. I’m fairly glad that I’m driving a McLaren and never a Pink Bull for the time being.”
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