F1 shock waves roll through the paddock after an unexpected failure of Margarida Corceiro, the girlfriend of McLaren driver Lando Norris. During a candid interview, she was extremely critical of Max Verstappen and his dominant performance in Formula 1. Her statements spread rapidly about social media and immediately caused a storm of reactions.
According to Corceiro, Verstappen’s success is less impressive than many think. She claimed that his world titles are mainly due to happiness and favor by the international motor sport federation:
“Max has only won thanks to the happiness and favoritism of the FIA,” she said without hesitation. “If Lando had started in the same era as Verstappen, nobody would have seen Max as a legend. He was just a good driver, but certainly not an icon.”
The statements did not fall in deaf ears. Fans of Verstappen and Formula 1 analysts shot directly in the defense. Many accused of Corceiro a lack of sporting insight and accused her of belittling Verstappens performance to cover up the frustration of Norris’s missed opportunities. Yet there were also people who thought they “said what others didn’t dare say.”
After hours of silence, Max Verstappen eventually stopped. Through his official press channel he only recorded seven words – a reaction that was welcomed by his fans for her class and cold -bloodedness:
“Legends don’t have to defend themselves. Punt.”
The short but powerful reaction became trending within a few minutes and brought an unexpected end to the words war. Corceiro, who is normally active on social media, no longer responded publicly to Verstappen’s remark. Many interpreted her radio silence as a recognition that the Dutchman had completely sidelined her with one sentence.
In the meantime, the pressure on Lando Norris is growing, which is now in an uncomfortable situation. His girlfriend’s comments have unintentionally pulled him into a media storm, and it is almost certain that questions will be asked about this during the upcoming Grand Prix weekend.
The situation shows once again that rivalry in Formula 1 is not only fought on the asphalt. Words can have as much impact as lap times, and reputations can be forged both in a bend and in an interview – or broken.
