McLaren CEO Zak Brown believes Red Bull would be less competitive than their sister team, Racing Bulls (formerly AlphaTauri/Toro Rosso), if not for Max Verstappen, especially with ongoing speculation about Verstappen`s plans.
Reports from Sky Italy on Wednesday suggested Verstappen is open to switching teams, and discussions are reportedly ramping up before the British Grand Prix this weekend.
Mercedes driver George Russell mentioned at the recent Austrian Grand Prix that his contract renewal was stalled by `ongoing conversations`. Team boss Toto Wolff confirmed these talks were happening `behind closed doors`.
“I believe where there`s smoke, there`s fire,” Brown commented during McLaren`s event in London ahead of Silverstone. “If everyone was settled in their positions, they`d say so. The fact that people are talking but nobody is confirming anything suggests conversations are happening. I mentioned some time ago that I wouldn`t be surprised if Max ended up at Mercedes.”
Verstappen, currently trailing championship leader Oscar Piastri by 61 points, has outperformed his teammates Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda this season, maintaining a perfect record against them.
While Verstappen has secured two pole positions and two victories, his teammates combined have only managed three points finishes, and Tsunoda has recently failed to get out of Q1 for three races in a row.
Since rejoining Racing Bulls, Lawson appears more at ease in the car, and both he and Isack Hadjar have shown better pace than Red Bull`s Yuki Tsunoda.
Brown stated, “Without Verstappen, Red Bull would be trailing Racing Bulls. While Red Bull has done excellent work and has a strong car, I believe Max is currently carrying the team.”
The McLaren CEO hinted that the rumors linking Verstappen to Mercedes might have “another chapter,” advising people to “stay tuned.”
Lando Norris, who has frequently competed closely with Verstappen in recent times, commented that the Dutch driver will ultimately “decide where he thinks is best.”
“I don`t particularly care where he goes,” Norris said. “I respect Max as a competitor. He`s challenging, but I enjoy our races against each other.”
Verstappen signed a contract with Red Bull in 2022, committing until 2028, but rumors linking him to Mercedes have persisted since last year.
The 27-year-old driver secured his fourth consecutive world championship in 2024. However, speculation about his future at Red Bull arose due to various team issues away from the track, such as a dispute between his father, Jos Verstappen, and team principal Christian Horner.
The speculation resurfaced earlier this year, seemingly fueled by Red Bull`s performance relative to McLaren and Verstappen`s inability to compete for a record-tying fifth straight championship.
Speaking over the weekend, Horner commented, “It`s mostly just noise. I think Max finds it quite irritating. Our contract with Max is clear and runs until 2028. Therefore, anything being said is purely speculation, and we generally don`t pay much attention to it.”
He also added, “I can understand George`s frustration about not having a contract yet, but that`s a matter between him and Mercedes. Regarding Max`s situation, both we and Max are fully aware of where things stand. All this discussion is just noise, and naturally, contract details remain confidential.”
British Grand Prix Schedule
- Thursday July 3
2pm: Drivers` Press Conference
6pm: The F1 Show Special - Friday July 4
8.45am: F3 Practice
9.55am: F2 Practice
12pm: British GP Practice One (session starts at 12.30pm)
1.55pm: F3 Qualifying
2.50pm: F2 Qualifying
3.35pm: British GP Practice Two (session starts at 4pm)
5.15pm: The F1 Show - Saturday July 5
9.10am: F3 Sprint
11.15pm: British GP Practice Three (session starts at 11.30am)
1.10pm: F2 Sprint
2.15pm: British GP Qualifying build-up
3pm: BRITISH GP QUALIFYING
4.55pm: F4 Race 1
5.40pm: Ted`s Qualifying Notebook - Sunday July 6
8.15am: F4 Race 2
9.25am: F3 Feature Race
11am: F2 Feature Race
1.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: British GP build-up
3pm: THE BRITISH GRAND PRIX
5pm: Chequered Flag: British GP reaction
6pm: Ted`s Notebook
