"He’s mad because he knows Max Verstappen is right": Fans react to McLaren boss criticizing the Red Bull driver

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has come under fire for criticizing Max Verstappen's values. He called out the Dutch driver for downplaying Red Bull's car, RB21, but fans instead mocked him in the comment section.

Red Bull and McLaren have been at loggerheads since the beginning of the season. The Papaya team unleashed dominance to win the first two races of the year, but Verstappen bounced back to win in Japan.

Moreover, after the race, the four-time world champion took a jibe at McLaren, saying if he had been racing in an MCL39, he would have disappeared on the track as the car is much faster and better in performance compared to the RB21.

However, the comments didn't sit well with McLaren team principal Andrea Stella as he called out Max Verstappen for downplaying his own team's car. Talking to Sky Sports, he said:

“Verstappen? I wonder what people that work at Red Bull think when they hear their driver talk like this about the car they built; usually the driver represents all the values of the team."

Meanwhile, fans weren't impressed with Stella's jibe on Max Verstappen as they dropped their reactions in the comments section.

"He’s mad because he knows Max is right, but he just has to deal with Mr 'too many questions in the media about just the car,'" a fan said.

"So what is Lando doing then? Stella is such a clown. Max gets in his nerves so much," a fan also opined.

"I can't stand people like Stella or Vowles. Bunch of Sister Marys. Go join a church or something this is motorsport," a user also commented.

A fan pointed out irony in Andrea Stella's statement, saying Lando Norris has been doing the same thing by criticizing McLaren's car.

"What about Lando when he said Verstappen would be disappointed after driving McLaren?," a user questioned.

"Wow the irony!!" another fan said.

"I can say the same about Lando. The people at the fabric who built that rocket ship don’t deserve to be criticized," a comment read.

Despite Stella's criticism, Verstappen stood by his statement, saying he meant what he said and it wasn't just a joke.

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Oscar Piastri reacts to Max Verstappen's jibe on McLaren's car

Max Verstappen with Oscar Piastri F1 Grand Prix Of Japan - Source: Getty

Max Verstappen's post-race interview after winning the Japanese GP took the internet by storm. He opined that had he been racing in a McLaren car, he would have been comfortably in front of his rivals.

However, McLaren took offense as Andrea Stella and Lando Norris hit back at the Dutch driver. Oscar Piastri also joined the debate and opined that Verstappen was perhaps joking. Talking to GP blog, he said:

"It was a bit of a joke. But I think if Max had qualified third and we were first and second, it probably would have looked quite different as well."

When further asked if he would like to race in RB21, Piastri replied:

"I don't know. I don't plan on finding out! I think, clearly, the car looks pretty difficult. I'm quite happy that I'm driving a McLaren and not a Red Bull at the moment."

In three races so far this season, McLaren has won two, whereas Red Bull has settled for a solitary victory.