Max Verstappen gives himself new nickname in cheeky message to McLaren rival

Max Verstappen gave himself a new nickname as he responded to McLaren chief executive Zak Brown ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The reigning champion is still in with a chance of winning a fifth straight Drivers' Championship title, but will need to a stroke of good fortune the Yas Marina Circuit. His most straightforward route is to win Sunday's race with Lando Norris finishing fourth or lower.

Even if he falls short, it has been a remarkable comeback from Verstappen given that he was 104 points adrift of the lead at one stage. He is now just 12 points behind top spot, having surpassed Oscar Piastri at last weekend's Qatar Grand Prix. Speaking afterwards, Brown likened Verstappen to a horror movie villain as he lauded the Dutchman's fighting spirit.

Verstappen was asked to respond to those comments ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and took them in his stride, even giving himself a new nickname.

"He can call me Chucky," said the 28-year-old. "I don't know. I saw it [Brown's comments] as well. I thought it was quite funny.

"From my side, I just focus on myself. I know that when I go in the car, I just try to do the best like I guess everyone does. But yeah, that's the only thing I can control, right? And that's the only thing I focus on."

Verstappen's impressive victory in Qatar was aided by a strategy blunder from McLaren, who opted against pitting either of their drivers during an early safety car period.

Red Bull, meanwhile, decided to call Verstappen in for a new set of tyres. It was a choice that paid dividends as the Dutchman took the chequered flag with clear daylight to Piastri in second place.

He believes Red Bull are unlikely to beat McLaren on pure pace in Abu Dhabi, so they will need to rely on another strategical masterclass.

"I hope that we start the weekend well," added Verstappen. "That would help a lot. I think on pure pace, it will be tough.

"A race like [Qatar] also shows that it's not always straightforward, a Grand Prix, and a lot of things can happen, so I'm probably relying a little bit on that.

"You need to be realistic. On pure pace, we're not at the same level. But at the same time, when strategy maybe comes into play or making the right calls at the right time, we might have the opportunity."

It remains to be seen if Verstappen will deliver the goods in Abu Dhabi, but it would be foolish to count him out with all of the pressure on McLaren.