Guenther Steiner predicts Max Verstappen's next F1 race win

Max Verstappen won the Japanese Grand Prix ahead of the McLaren pair, which some reckoned as a one-off possibility due to the MCL39's superiority in pace as compared to the RB21. However, former Haas boss, Guenther Steiner, claimed that the win was not an outlier and predicted that Dutchman would return to the top of the podium again.

The McLaren drivers seemingly had the pace over their rivals at the Japanese Grand Prix as the papaya cars topped every practice session. Moreover, the team retained its upper hand in the first two qualifying segments, but the flying Dutchman wrecked their dreams of claiming the pole position after beating the qualifying lap record at Suzuka Circuit.

The 27-year-old's racecraft was on display in the 53 laps held on Sunday, where he did not let the papaya duo get past him. With the win in Japan, Verstappen closed the gap to Lando Norris in the championship standings and now stands a single point behind him.

Witnessing the Red Bull driver's ability to stay inch-perfect still, despite not seemingly having the fastest car, Guenther Steiner slated Verstappen to win another race on merit and said on The Red Flags Podcast:

"No, I think in general it means this wasn't an outlier; he can win other races if he's given the opportunity."

If Max Verstappen outscores Lando Norris at the next race, he will leapfrog the McLaren driver in the championship standings. The Dutchman had lost the advantage at the start of the season in Australia.

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McLaren admits Max Verstappen is still a threat to their championship ambitions

Lando Norris (L), Max Verstappen, and Oscar Piastri (R) at the F1 Japanese Grand Prix podium - Source: Getty

The Woking-based squad is the reigning Constructors' Champions but were unable to bag a Drivers' title as Max Verstappen mounted a stern title defense. However, this year, the team started with the ambition to bag a championship double for the first time since 1998.

Regardless of their aspirations, McLaren would have to contend with Verstappen, a daunting task to retain the championship lead in the drivers' camp, which even McLaren team principal Andrea Stella acknowledged, via Sky Sports:

"We treat Max and Red Bull like the others until we have established [a pecking order] a little bit. Hamilton won the Sprint in China, Russell was competitive in the race in China, in Suzuka we had Red Bull and Max. We are still in a transient phase, we will have to see how things settle down.

"Definitely the most important condition to pursue both championships is having the best car. It's important that when we are not in condition to win, we keep racing in a robust way. Max at the moment is making the difference himself."

On the other hand, Red Bull sits third in the Constructors' standings after Max Verstappen has remained the sole point-scorer for the Austrian giant since the 2025 season began.