Max Verstappen pulls back the curtain on McLaren's strengths that set it apart from the rest of the field

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has shared intriguing details on what makes McLaren the standout car in the field. The Woking-based squad won the constructors championship last season, but this time around it does appear that the team is going to take both the titles.

The only challenger that the McLaren duo could potentially have had is Max Verstappen, but the Red Bull driver has fallen off significantly in terms of the points gap as the season has progressed. Things were still a bit closer at the start of the season, but now after 14 races, both Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris have pulled through.

Talking to the media, including Motorsport, Max Verstappen detailed areas where the McLaren is a stronger car than the rest of the field. According to the Dutch driver, the first key advantage that the car has is its ability to keep the tires at a good working temperature, and then it is coupled with the proficiency in the medium-speed sections. He said,

“First of all, the McLaren car is definitely better on its tyres. It keeps the tyres alive a lot nicer than all other cars on the grid. You can clearly see that in the wet, especially on the intermediates. If you have good tyre management, it comes out even more on that tyre because it's more fragile. It overheats even faster, and they definitely have that very well under control.”

He added

“At the same time, I think their medium-speed performance is incredible compared to, I would say, everyone else on the grid,” he added. “The rotation they have on the front axle without losing the rear is something that is also quite incredible to see. That's something that we are trying to achieve as well, of course.”

McLaren boss Andrea Stella echoes Max Verstappen's opinion

McLaren boss Andrea Stella echoed what Max Verstappen said about the car, as the team principal felt that the answer to the question was quite obvious with the GPS data. According to the Italian, the car had its weaknesses in very fast and very slow sections, but it was the medium-speed section where it shined. He said,

“That's an easy answer because it can be answered by just looking at the GPS data. When you look at the speed comparison with some other teams, the data says that McLaren can generate the highest mid-corner speed in medium-speed corners. So, I think the assessment of Max is correct.”

As the F1 season kicks off after the summer break, it's safe to say that there's an element of uncertainty in the title fight. Unfortunately, it might be safe to say that Max Verstappen won't be a part of it because Red Bull is seemingly a step behind the McLaren.