F1 World Champion Max Verstappen is gaining momentum in his title fight against McLaren’s Lando Norris. According to former F1 driver Karun Chandhok, McLaren’s strategy in Japan may have unintentionally helped Verstappen. By not being more aggressive in the race, McLaren allowed Verstappen to win comfortably and gain a psychological advantage.
Chandhok believes that McLaren should have taken a bolder approach, trying to stop Verstappen from winning. Instead, they played it safe, which gave Red Bull Racing and Verstappen a boost. This is significant because Verstappen has shown he can make the most of his car’s capabilities, especially when conditions favor it.
Chandhok thinks that McLaren’s inaction may signal to Red Bull and Verstappen that wins are within reach regardless of the conditions. However, this weekend in Bahrain may be a different story, as high tyre degradation is expected. The RB21 already struggles under such conditions, making it a challenging weekend for Red Bull.
Despite this, Chandhok acknowledges that the psychological advantage gained by Verstappen could still give him an edge over Norris. This could make it difficult for McLaren to regain the lead in the championship standings.
Source: https://www.planetf1.com/news/verstappen-red-bull-handed-powerful-boost-with-mclaren-called-out