168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Max Verstappen has been labelled as “clever” for landing a “direct hit” with his jab at F1 rivals McLaren.

After claiming an unlikely victory from pole position at last weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix, Verstappen quipped he would have won the race mor🌊e comfortably had he been driving McLaren’s c♍ar.

Red Bull’s four-time world champion resisted a race-long challenge from the McLaren’s of 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Lando Norris and 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Oscar Piastri to record a fourth straight win at Suzuka.

After closing to within a point of Norris in the drivers’ championship, Verstappen cheekily joked: "I don't even want to think about if I'd been in that oth𝓡er car [McLaren]. Then you wouldn't have seen me!"

Verstapp﷽en’s remark drew a response from both of McLaren’s drivers in the build up to the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Norris invited Verstappen to 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:test his McLaren following the Dutchman’s comments about the competꦰi𓆉tiveness of the MCL39.

“I have a lot of respect for Max but I also know some things are not true, he can come and test our car any day that he wants and I’ll be excited to see the disappointment on his face after he gets o🦋ut,” Norris responded.

Max Verstappen bait catches Martin Brundle’s eye

Former F1 driver tu🔯rned commentator Martin Brundle reckons Verstappen successfully rattled his rivals with his remark, which Brundle believes had a double motivation behind it.

"So it was twofold," Brundle told Sky Sports F1.

It was to g🎀ive his team [R🦩ed Bull] 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 1500 people back at base, who've just given him a race winning car: 'Your ca🌺r's not very good', and that can demotivate them.

"But then both M🦋cLaren drivers... Certainly Lando, sort of said a bit the ꦿsame thing about his car: 'well have a go in it, you'll be disappointed, Max.’

"So they shouldn't have bitten on that one, I don't think. And it was quite clever psycholog✤y from Max.”

Brundle 💦also analysed McLaren’s much-criticised strategy la🦩st time out in Japan.

“Completely different race here [in Bahrain], where you can build a tyre advantage by staying out longer and having 🃏fresher tyres at the end of the race,” he said.

“It was two against one at Suzuka 🦹and they may well have that again here with other teams as well.

“Should they have trieꦛd to destabilise Red Bull and done something a litter different? I think they probably should have, yes. The problem you’ve got there is they’ve got two drivers up for the World Championship.

“It’s a 🧜problem they’re going to have to manage all through this season a🏅nd probably the next few seasons indeed. Do you want to disadvantage one of those?

“Because if you do that swap or bring Lando in early, put him 🅷in traffic, lose a little bit of time and then there’s a Safety Car, Lando is back in seventh and he’s not no longer leading the World Championship.

“It’s very easy to sit on the sofa🅘 going: ‘Do that, do this.’ But you can look a bit foolish quite quickly.”