McLaren CEO Zak Brown has spoken of his hope that Mercedes do not sign Max Verstappen, saying the “awesome” Dutchman would be joining a Formula 1 team “on the rise.”
Brown’s papaya squad has so far been the class of the field this year, winning nine out of the 12 Grands Prix contested, leaving all challengers floundering in the wake of its MCL39 challenger.
Verstappen has been the only driver who has got remotely close to the Woking-based outfit, taking two superb wins in Suzuka and Imola.
But Red Bull has been in something a tumultuous period, having lost a number of key personnel in the last year, culminating in the shocking firing of boss Christian Horner two week ago.
Mercedes has had some indifferent performances across the season, but through the performances of George Russell, there has been an air of consistency.
And with the increasing speculation Verstappen will join the German marque next year, ami whispers that it has produced the best powertrain for the new regulations, Brown is unsettled by the prospect of the two coming together.
“I think Mercedes is a team on the rise,” Brown told The Sports Agents Podcast.
“Red Bull at the moment has challenges. It doesn’t mean that they can’t fix those challenges,” he added.
“But Max in a Mercedes is pretty uncomfortable to think about because he’s awesome!
“So I think I’d rather he stay where he is.”
Losing Verstappen would be ‘a disaster’ for Red Bull – Brown
As McLaren started to become the main challenger to ursurp Red Bull’s throne as the dominant team in F1, Brown has, in a sense, replaced Toto Wolff as Horner and Red Bull’s primary agent provocateur.
The American is no stranger to a good-natured ribbing of the Milton Keynes-based squad, and if Netflix’s Drive To Survive is to be believed, often taking boyish glee in its misfortune.
With Verstappen now one of few public-facing figures left in the team, Brown is all too aware that a potential departure could spell huge repercussions for the team.
“I think it would be a disaster for Red Bull if they lost Max,” he said.
Early rumours have suggested that Ford’s collaboration with Red Bull’s powertrains division is so far giving indications that the 2026 car may not be as competitive as it hoped.
And if Mercedes has been able to produce an engine which will be the fastest, then it, along with McLaren, could continue to head up the grid.
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