Red Bull's Max Verstappen has launched a scathing attack on McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, labelling their defensive driving during the Italian Grand Prix as "a bit ridiculous" after a fierce battle scuppered his chances of a podium finish.
The reigning world champion, who started the Monza race from a disappointing P7 on the grid, found himself embroiled in a nail-biting multi-lap duel with the two papaya-coloured cars in the latter stages. Despite his best efforts in the high-speed slipstream battles emblematic of the Temple of Speed, Verstappen could only manage a P5 finish.
A Frustrating Chase for the Champion
Verstappen's charge through the field was halted by the resilient McLaren duo. He expressed immense frustration at their tactics, particularly their positioning on the straights.
"I just couldn't get them because every single straight they were just using battery, and then on the last bit of the straight, I would get ahead, but then you need to brake and they would have DRS again and they would pass me back," Verstappen explained post-race. "So it was a bit ridiculous."
McLaren's Firm Defence: Just Hard Racing?
While Verstappen saw it as overzealous defending, the McLaren pair viewed it as firm but fair racing. Lando Norris, who secured a podium with a brilliant P2 finish behind the victorious Carlos Sainz, saw nothing wrong with the battle.
"It was good racing," Norris stated. "He's not going to like it, is he? But I thought it was good, hard racing."
Rookie sensation Oscar Piastri, who eventually finished just ahead of Verstappen in P4, echoed his teammate's sentiments, simply calling it "good fun."
Battery Deployment Becomes the Deciding Factor
The crux of Verstappen's frustration lay in the strategic use of energy deployment. He felt the McLarens' ability to use electrical energy to defend on the straights created an insurmountable obstacle, turning the race into a futile game of high-speed ping-pong.
"It's a shame because I think we were quicker," Verstappen conceded, "but yeah, just stuck."
This fiery exchange sets the stage for an even more intense rivalry as the Formula 1 circus moves on, proving that even for a dominant champion like Verstappen, Monza's long straights can be a great equaliser.
