Max enjoys his role as title villain in F1 finale

FORMULA ONE

- By PHILIP DUNCAN

Race winner Max Verstappen, second left, with second-placed Oscar Piastri and third-placed Carlos Sainz and Hannah Schmitz, principal strategy engineer of Oracle Red Bull Racing, on the podium in Lusail City

MAX Verstappen has told McLaren to “Call me Chucky” after Zak Brown compared their rival to a horror movie villain who keeps coming back.

Verstappen was 104 points off the world championship pace, but he will head to this weekend’s season finale in Abu Dhabi only 12 points behind Lando Norris.

McLaren CEO Brown made the comparison about Verstappen prior to the Qatar Grand Prix where a strategy blunder gift-wrapped the Dutchman his fifth win in eight races.