Amid Red Bull’s rivalry with McLaren, Max Verstappen humorously hints at insider updates from fellow Dutchman Nyck De Vries after his Formula 1 test with the papaya squad.
As Formula 1 prepares for the 2025 season, the rivalry between Red Bull and McLaren continues to heat up, and Max Verstappen isn’t missing a chance to keep the banter alive. The four-time world champion, who narrowly edged out McLaren’s Lando Norris for the 2024 Drivers’ title, joked about getting a “full report” from compatriot Nyck De Vries after the Formula E star recently tested one of McLaren’s older F1 cars.
De Vries steps into McLaren’s fold
Nyck De Vries, a former Formula 2 and Formula E champion, tested for McLaren after the team clinched their first Constructors’ title in 26 years. The Dutchman, who had a brief stint with AlphaTauri in 2023, now competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Toyota, but his technical expertise and adaptability continue to draw attention in motorsport circles.
“He is a great driver,” Verstappen told RacingNews365. “He is technically also very strong. He likes to really analyse everything within the car.”
Verstappen expressed support for De Vries’ opportunity with McLaren, highlighting the Dutch driver’s affinity for Formula 1. “It’s good for [De Vries]. He likes Formula 1, and he’s honestly great at these kinds of things.”
Verstappen keeps it light—but professional
Given the fierce rivalry between Red Bull and McLaren, Verstappen couldn’t resist joking about De Vries potentially feeding him intel. “He will send me a full report of what is going on,” Verstappen quipped, before clarifying, “No, of course not. We always keep it very professional. That’s his job. I’m not there to try and steal information. I don’t want to put him in that position anyway.”
Red Bull’s struggles and McLaren’s resurgence
The light-hearted exchange comes as Verstappen and Red Bull aim to rebound from a challenging 2024 season. Development struggles left the RB20 trailing McLaren’s MCL38, with Verstappen enduring a rare 10-race winless streak between his victories at the Spanish and Sao Paulo GPs.
Meanwhile, McLaren’s dominant second half of the season propelled Lando Norris into a title challenge, though Verstappen ultimately prevailed. McLaren, however, clinched the Constructors’ crown, marking a seismic shift in the balance of power between the two teams.
The “what if” debate
Verstappen stirred the pot further with comments to De Telegraaf, suggesting he would have secured the 2024 championship “a lot sooner” if he’d been driving McLaren’s MCL38.
Norris, never one to back down, fired back ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix. “He should start doing comedy or something,” Norris said with a laugh. “He can say whatever he wants. Of course, I completely disagree, as I would. He’s good, but, yeah, it’s not true.”
2025 outlook: McLaren as favorites
With McLaren’s 2024 performance cementing them as the team to beat, they head into 2025 as early favorites for both titles. Red Bull, meanwhile, faces a crucial off-season as they work to close the gap.
Whether Verstappen’s jokes or McLaren’s performance carry the narrative this season, one thing is clear: the Verstappen-Norris rivalry is shaping up to be one of Formula 1’s most compelling storylines in 2025.