**Verstappen Confident He Could Have Won 2024 Title with McLaren or Ferrari**

Max Verstappen firmly believes that he would have secured the 2024 Formula 1 world championship even if he had been driving for McLaren or Ferrari, instead of his Red Bull car. The Dutch driver clinched his fourth consecutive title two races before the season's end by finishing in fifth place at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, effectively eliminating his closest competitor, Lando Norris, from contention.

Verstappen began the season strongly with the dominant Red Bull RB20. However, McLaren made significant progress starting in May, while Red Bull faced some challenges. Ferrari also had its moments at the front, with Mercedes occasionally joining the lead pack. Despite these developments, Verstappen insists that, for 70 percent of the season, he did not have the fastest car available.

When asked if he would have won the championship with a McLaren, Verstappen confidently responded, "Yes, even earlier, so [I would have been] further ahead. [With the Ferrari], pretty much the same I think. The Mercedes, no. I think that would have been trickier."

He also touched upon his confrontation with Zak Brown on Sky Sports, following comments from the McLaren CEO suggesting that Verstappen could only win the title with the dominant Red Bull. "Comments like that only motivate me. When people are critical or think I can only win in the best car, I will prove them wrong," Verstappen remarked. "If I don't get [the credit] now, then I don't know what I have to do."

Brown's statements were made soon after Norris' first victory at the Miami Grand Prix in May, a time when Verstappen had already won four of the first six races, and the flaws in the RB20 had not yet become evident. Back then, Brown's claim that six or seven drivers could take the title in the Red Bull seemed plausible.

Reflecting on whether anyone else could have won the 2024 championship in the Red Bull, Verstappen quipped, "Well, we are in the right place for that question here in Vegas, because you can bet on that! All I can say is, I wish them the best of luck with that..."