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Max Verstappen’s late-season surge last year left a lasting impression on the McLaren pit wall. Although the Red Bull driver narrowly missed out on taking the title from Lando Norris in a dramatic Abu Dhabi finale, his manager, Raymond Vermeulen, believes the performance has given the team massive confidence for the 2026 season. The psychological impact of Verstappen's relentless pursuit is something the team hopes to exploit as the new season begins.
Verstappen’s "horror film" comeback
Verstappen mounted a remarkable comeback in the second half of last year, finishing on the podium in every single Grand Prix following the summer break. His relentless pursuit forced McLaren into high-pressure situations, with CEO Zak Brown famously describing Verstappen as a "horror film character" who simply refused to go away regardless of how many hits he took. Verstappen capitalized on several McLaren reliability issues and strategic errors to force a title showdown that few thought possible in the summer.
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Manager Raymond Vermeulen notes that this pressure began to weigh heavily on McLaren’s internal systems and decision-making. "You could see we started putting pressure on McLaren's system. That is very good for the sport and for Max," Vermeulen said in the new season of Lion Unleashed on Viaplay. He added with a grin that Brown likely still wakes up in a cold sweat thinking about the Dutchman's pace and the narrow margin by which they secured the championship.
Looking ahead to the Australian opener
As the new season kicks off in Melbourne this weekend, the pecking order remains unclear among the top four teams: McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari. Vermeulen is eager to see if Verstappen can maintain that psychological edge over Norris and Oscar Piastri. The manager believes that the freedom McLaren gave their drivers to fight each other last year played into Verstappen's hands, and he is curious to see if the Woking team will change their approach to protect their lead this year.
"I think Zak still dreams about Max sometimes," Vermeulen noted. "So let’s see if we can make that happen again this year." While Red Bull is no longer the undisputed benchmark, the combination of Verstappen’s talent and their strategic execution makes them a threat that McLaren clearly still fears. The battle for the 2026 crown starts now, and the mental games are already in full swing.
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