Jos Verstappen: “If I Were Piastri, I’d Slam My Fist on the Table”
1. A Father’s Fury—Aimed at Papaya, Not Red Bull
Never shy of speaking his mind, Jos Verstappen has turned the spotlight away from his son Max and onto McLaren, accusing the team of letting Oscar Piastri “bleed points” in the 2025 title fight.
“If I were Oscar, I would slam my fist on the table—now,” Jos told NewsBreak.
He claims Piastri’s recent slump—from an 18-point lead to a 31-point deficit against Lando Norris in just four races—stems not from speed but from McLaren’s refusal to install a clear hierarchy.
2. The Trigger: Hungary & Monza Flashbacks
Jos points to two pivotal moments:
- Hungary 2025: Piastri was left out longer on a two-stop, got stuck behind Leclerc, and watched Norris jump him via the under-cut.
- Monza 2025: McLaren ordered Piastri to hand second place back to Norris after a slow stop, trimming the Australian’s title cushion still further .
“Those decisions show they already have a number one—they just won’t admit it,” Jos fumed.
3. Papaya Rules: Fair Play or Fair-Weather?
Team principal Andrea Stella insists McLaren operates under “Papaya Rules”: drivers may race hard provided they don’t take each other off. Zak Brown repeats the 2007 mantra—we’d rather lose the title than lose a driver’s trust .
Jos scoffs at the slogan: “Neutrality sounds noble until you realise it only helps Verstappen. Oscar is sleep-walking into second place”
4. Data That Hurts – Piastri’s Point Bleed
Since the summer break Piastri has scored 34 points fewer than Norris despite matching him for raw pace (qualifying average delta: +0.06 s). Crucially, he has lost three positions to strategy calls that favoured his team-mate, costing an estimated 14 points—exactly the swing now separating the pair.
5. What “Slam the Table” Actually Means
Jos is not advocating public warfare; he wants Piastri to force McLaren’s hand:
- Demand first call on strategy when the two strategies diverge.
- Insist on pit-stop priority when leading on-track.
- Secure written assurances that slow-stop misfortune will not be corrected by on-track swaps that cost him points.
“Oscar is too polite. Sometimes you have to demand respect,” Jos said.
6. Piastri’s Camp Responds – Calm, Not Confrontation
Sources close to the Australian say he is “upset and tired” of the narrative that he is McLaren’s second driver, but he will not manufacture a media storm. Instead, he has asked for clarity internally before the Mexico City GP. Stella agreed to review the “slow-stop protocol” after Monza, admitting the team needs “bullet-proof principles” for future scenarios.
7. The Championship Math – Why Jos Is Sounding the Alarm
With five races left, Verstappen trails Piastri by 40 and Norris by 9. If McLaren keeps splitting wins, Red Bull’s three-time champ could clinch a fourth crown without winning again—exactly how Raikkonen stole 2007. Jos believes McLaren must back the driver with the highest mathematical chance after São Paulo or risk a repeat:
“They laugh about 2007—we remember how that ended”.
8. Bottom Line – Papaya Pride or Papaya Regret?
By refusing to anoint a number one, McLaren cultivates internal harmony but also courts external chaos. Jos Verstappen’s blunt advice is a reminder that, in Formula 1, fairness can be a luxury the points table rarely affords. Whether Piastri heeds the call to “slam the table” could decide if the 2025 drivers’ trophy lands in Woking—or Milton Keynes.
Sources
- Motorsport Week – Why McLaren won’t favour one driver over the other, 2025-11-06
- Pitpass – No team orders insists Brown, 2025-11-06
- Pro Football Network – ‘I Would Punch the Table’ — Jos Verstappen urges Piastri to fight back, 2025-11-07
- Pitpass – Fight back, Jos Verstappen urges Piastri, 2025-11-07
- PlanetF1 – Oscar Piastri ‘upset and tired’ as Ecclestone repeats favouritism claim, 2025-11-06
- ESPN – Inside McLaren’s recent history of team orders and close calls, 2025-09-08