Max Verstappen gives comically blunt response to F1 championship loss

Credit for photo: Red Bull Content Pool — Photo: © IMAGO

Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen gives comically blunt response to F1 championship loss

Max Verstappen never wastes a word.

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Wednesday 17 December 2025 09:12

Max Verstappen saw the bright side of his F1 championship loss to Lando Norris, giving a characteristically blunt response in a recent interview.

The four-time world champion came from 104 points behind McLaren earlier in the season to finish just two points behind Norris after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with the Brit's third place finish in the final race of the year good enough for the title.

While Verstappen did win the Abu Dhabi GP, he would have undoubtedly been disappointed to miss out on another championship at Yas Marina.

Article continues under video

The championship was arguably lost at the start of the year with Red Bull struggling to match the pace of the superior McLaren and now, the Dutchman has instead revealed McLaren's 'gifts' allowed him back in the title fight, naming their double disqualification in Las Vegas as one of these presents.

Verstappen offers hilarious 'pregnant' metaphor after McLaren title win

Speaking to Viaplay after losing out to Norris, Verstappen said: "I think we can be happy that we were able to compete in the championship because first of all, we have never been leading a championship.

"We also received a lot of presents and finally, you get to Las Vegas, you win that race and McLaren is disqualified there, otherwise you wouldn’t be there at all. That’s a gift for you too. We also benefited from that.

“The fact that there are two points does not matter whether it is one or 20 points.”

One interviewer then chimed in to agree with Verstappen, saying: “Not winning is not winning”.

But the four-time champion put his own spin on the metaphor, comically adding in typical Verstappen fashion: “You are pregnant or not pregnant, you are not half pregnant right?”

F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen