MAX VERSTAPPEN has warned Lando Norris that “Chucky” is coming to get him in a Formula One horror finale.
Four-time champ Verstappen won the Qatar Grand Prix to stop Norris from sealing his first title success.
And that set up a nightmare last-race scenario for the Brit — who can be pipped in Abu Dhabi at the weekend by Verstappen or McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri.
McLaren boss Zak Brown branded Verstappen, 28, a “horror movie character” before the race for the way he clawed back a points deficit that was in three figures in August.
The Dutchman lapped that up, nabbing the nickname of the haunted doll in the Child’s Play slasher films.
He declared: “You can call me Chucky! I saw what Zak said — I thought it was 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.”
Verstappen’s win leaves him just 12 points off table-topper Norris, whose fourth-place finish set up the blockbuster three-way title showdown.
McLaren stuffed up their pitstops by leaving both drivers out during a lap-seven safety car, while the other teams were changing tyres.
Piastri, who is now 16 points away from Norris, having won the sprint race, is also still licking his wounds from the double disqualification due to skid block wear in Las Vegas before this GP.
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He said: “Clearly we didn’t get it right today, which is a shame because the whole weekend went very well. We had a lot of pace. I felt like I drove well. So yeah, it’s painful.”
Norris needs to finish third or higher to guarantee the world championship, or anywhere else in front of his other two title rivals.
When asked how he will approach Abu Dhabi, he said: “The same as every weekend.
“I try and beat them, they try and beat me. Nothing different.”
Meanwhile, Red Bull and Mercedes traded blows as Helmut Marko accused Kimi Antonelli of letting Norris pass him on the penultimate lap.
When Red Bull adviser Marko was asked if he was annoyed by Merc driver Antonelli losing the place, he replied: “Yes, because it was twice where he more or less waved Lando by.
“It was so obvious.”
Fuming Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said: “This is total utter nonsense.
“That blows my mind even to hear that. How brainless can you be to say something like this?”
