Villeneuve: “Nobody cares about the constructors’ championship except the team itself”
Jacques Villeneuve believes McLaren’s post-Brazil title claims are “very strange” and questions the team’s winning mentality.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said that Max Verstappen’s victory in Brazil did not change anything for the team because “the constructors’ championship is always their priority”.
McLaren have a 36-point lead over Ferrari and 49 points over Red Bull in the constructors’ championship with three race weeks remaining. That’s a comfortable position given the team’s momentum for much of the season, but McLaren’s hopes of winning the drivers’ championship were dealt a serious blow at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Lando Norris started the race from pole position, while Max Verstappen was in 17th place due to a grid penalty, but the race developed in such a way that Verstappen won by almost 20 seconds, while Norris finished the race in sixth place.
The result saw Verstappen’s lead increase to 62 points, making it an almost insurmountable challenge for Norris, with a maximum of 86 points up for grabs in the championship.
Norris’ near-settling for second place in the championship led Stella to claim that the drivers’ championship was never the main target.
1997 F1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve spoke to Grosvenor Sport about his dramatic weekend in Brazil and McLaren’s post-race statement:
“Norris was unlucky because of the safety car.”
“There was a mistake in the regulations and Norris paid a heavy price. There was nothing he could do about it. Then Verstappen’s pace in the second half of the race came out of nowhere and it was incredible.”
“It’s not up to Lando anymore. All he can do is race hard and fast and hope Red Bull don’t get the points. That’s it.”
“McLaren said after Brazil: ‘The team’s priority is not the drivers’ championship, but the constructors’ championship.’ That’s very strange. Only teams that can’t win say that,”
“Okay, the constructors’ championship makes you money. But nobody cares about the constructors’ championship. People just remember who the world champion driver is and the team that is connected to that driver.”
“And ultimately, in people’s minds, this is the team that is the world champion. The team championship is only good on paper and for the extra money it brings to the team. That’s all. Nobody cares about that except the team itself.”
