Jacques Villeneuve explained defeat for McLaren in Japan “should hurt”, as they were “beaten by a team and a driver that were better than them.”

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri both finished on the podium at the weekend, but could not overhaul the Red Bull of Max Verstappen around Suzuka.

Villeneuve: McLaren ‘should have been first and second, and they weren’t’

The 1997 World Champion had expressed criticism at McLaren’s strategy on Sunday, for not taking a “gamble” on trying to overhaul Verstappen, adding: “It’s as if they’re trying to not win.”

But with Verstappen’s qualifying lap upsetting the form book and the reigning World Champion holding both drivers at bay throughout the race, he was able to notch his first win of the season by the chequered flag, and his fourth in a row at Suzuka.

Norris and Verstappen pitted on the same lap, leaving the pit lane together as the Briton took to the grass on pit exit, which was as close as the pair came to an on-track battle as the Red Bull driver swept to victory, team principal Christian Horner afterwards acknowledging they were not sold on a dummy pit stop McLaren tried to throw – saying it “didn’t make any sense” from their perspective.

While McLaren team principal Andrea Stella offered a fulsome explanation for why the team took their approach to Sunday’s action, with Norris and Piastri free to race and not ordered to switch positions, Villeneuve saw it as an opportunity missed.

More reaction to the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka

👉 Japanese GP conclusions: Verstappen’s Alonso-esque rampage, McLaren tactics, the real Doohan mistake

👉 Uncovered: How McLaren lost the Japanese Grand Prix

“They didn’t seem to be overly disappointed, which is strange, because they came here, they should have been first and second, and they weren’t,” Villeneuve said on Sky Sports F1.

“They actually were beaten, not because they were slow, they actually were beaten by a team and a driver that were better than them. That should hurt.

“That should make you think a bit: ‘Hmm, there’s something we did wrong this weekend, because we should at least have had a better shot.’

“If you pit the same lap [as Verstappen], of course, you won’t overtake unless there’s a big issue in the pit stop – [but] you try.

“At worst, you pit behind [Verstappen] or behind your team-mate, and you exchange a position, but at least you get a chance.”

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