McLaren attacked after Verstappen pounces on gifted opportunity – International Media reacts

Max Verstappen was flawless en route to victory at the Japanese Grand Prix, but it was a weekend in which McLaren left the door ajar.

After storming to pole position, the Dutchman seized on the opportunity the Woking squad afforded him by failing to make use of its strategic options during the race at Suzuka.

In many ways, it was given to the Red Bull driver as much as it was one prised away by him from the hands of the constructors’ champions.

Here is how media from around the world reacted to the third round of the F1 season.

🇬🇧 The Times – ‘Max Verstappen punishes McLaren for failure to pick No1 driver’

British broadsheet newspaper The Times focused on how McLaren’s indecision surrounding its drivers, which is being seen as a strategic blunder, played a part in costing the Woking team the chance of snatching victory away from Max Verstappen.

After failing to take advantage of having two cars fighting one during the pit stop phase, the papaya squad chose not to roll the dice and let Oscar Piastri past Lando Norris to attack the Dutchman in the closing stages.

The suggestion here is that had McLaren invoked team orders, the Australian might have been able to pass the Red Bull and take the win at Suzuka.

🇳🇱 De Telegraaf – ‘Dealing with sky-high pressure and four other reasons why Max Verstappen can ‘just’ compete for the world title’

Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf zeroed in on how home son Verstappen can keep the drivers’ championship alive in 2025, despite racing in inferior machinery and against both McLarens at the same time.

It highlights his ability to deal with pressure and other factors that will allow the 27-year-old to “just” about keep the title fight alive, despite the performance deficit between the RB21 and the MCL39.

If he can pull off the improbable, Verstappen will become only the second driver in F1 history to win five straight championships, as Michael Schumacher did for Ferrari between 2000 and 2004.

🇮🇹 Corriere della Sera – ‘Antonelli sets a record, goes better than Hamilton: why he could become the new Verstappen’

Italian publication Corriere della Sera tackled its home hero, Kimi Antonelli who claimed two records during the Japanese GP.

The 18-year-old became the youngest F1 driver to lead a race and also take the fastest lap, underlining why he could become the next Verstappen.

It also pointed out that he fared better than Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton, who finished comfortably adrift of the Mercedes star. 

🇩🇪 BILD – ‘Why did McLaren do THAT? Big mystery surrounding Verstappen’s victory’

Germany’s BILD took McLaren to task over its lack of team orders at a point in which it seemed to many to be appropriate to enact them.

Whilst team principal Andrea Stella defended the constructors’ champion’s decision-making process post-race, it has been widely questioned elsewhere.

The Italian maintained in his Sunday media session that Norris was in fact the quicker driver, something supported in the grand prix data – even if it did not appear so on broadcast. A puzzling one, for sure.

🇪🇸 El País – ‘Verstappen makes the most of a fantasy pole position and wins in Japan.’

Spanish outlet El País also covered Verstappen’s victory – unsurprising given the overall lack of talking points from Suzuka – to highlight how it was a win made by his sublime performance in qualifying the day before.

The Dutchman stunned the F1 paddock by planting his Red Bull on pole, seemingly out of nowhere, with a sensational effort against Norris and Piastri, who had to settle for second and third, respectively.

🇦🇺 Herald Sun – ‘McLaren’s race: Faultless Piastri puts the heat on Norris’

Australian tabloid the Herald Sun shined a light on native Piastri and his apparent advantage over his McLaren team-mate, despite starting behind him at Suzuka.

It is playing on the pressure put on Norris by the 24-year-old by trying to engineer team orders in the final laps, arguing he had enough pace to challenge Verstappen for victory.