Verstappen mocks comparison with horror film villain made by Brown

Max Verstappen was amused by the comparison made by Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren, who had likened the Red Bull Racing driver to a horror movie villain, after his victory in the Formula 1 Qatar GP. During a post-race interview, Verstappen responded irreverently to Brown’s statements, saying: “You can call me ‘Chucky’. Is that short enough for you? I saw that too and thought it was pretty funny”, joked the driver, making reference to the famous character from the horror film franchise.

Despite the slight provocation, Verstappen reaffirmed that his focus remains on his performance and on what is in his control: “On my side, I just focus on myself. I know that when I get in the car, I do my best, as I think everyone does. But that’s the only thing I can control, right? And that’s what I, obviously, focus on,” he said.

This comparison made by Brown before the Qatar GP highlighted Verstappen’s ability to recover and surprise his opponents, a characteristic that was evident in the driver’s dramatic victory on the Lusail circuit. By taking victory, Verstappen reduced Lando Norris’ advantage in the championship, and even surpassed Oscar Piastri, leaving everything open for the last race of the season in Abu Dhabi.

With the drivers’ title at stake, Verstappen also made a point of praising his team’s work, highlighting Red Bull’s resilience and how the team continued to fight for the championship, even with a large deficit to their rivals. Now with the last race next weekend, Verstappen continues in search of his fifth consecutive title, after a dominant performance in Qatar, which was greatly facilitated by the strategic error made by McLaren at the beginning of the race, when, unlike all the other teams, it did not make its first stop during the safety car.