In an interview with Auto Motor Sport, the Dutchman said he was not afraid of Checo in the first five races, who was six points off the pace ahead of the F1 Miami Grand Prix.

Red Bull’s epic teasing of Lando NorrisRoberto Ortega

For ‘Mad Max’ it was just a matter of perception: “You have to look at the big picture. I had to start from 15th in Saudi Arabia and I was a bit disadvantaged by the safety car in Baku (Azerbaijan).

“In my opinion, it’s not entirely fair to say that we were balanced because from my point of view that wasn’t the case.”

He added that: “Yes it was closer, but you have to take into account all the circumstances that led to it. For me, that pre-Miami scenario was distorted,” he stressed.

Verstappen doesn’t see Perez as his first-choice driver

The three-time Formula 1 champion was asked which drivers he would choose today if he were a team principal.

He ignored and dismissed the idea of signing Perez, instead opting for one of his friends, and the surprise driver of the 2023 season.

“Can I choose me?”, Verstappen wanted to evade, to which he was denied by Auto Motor Sport’s reporter, so he ventured that “then I would take Lando Norris“.

“Why? He’s still a young driver, with a long career ahead of him. And he can also be very fast,” while the other seat “I would pick Oscar Piastri, the current McLaren pairing”.

“They are both good. Lando is a bit older than Oscar, although he showed in his rookie year that he is very quick. He still has things to learn, like improving his race pace, but from what I can see, he’s a smart guy, so I have no doubt he’ll win a few races,” he concluded.