While the Formula 1 world speculates about Max Verstappen’s move to Mercedes, McLaren boss Zak Brown remains an “attentive observer.”
The entire Formula 1 world is talking about Max Verstappen’s possible move to Mercedes. Only one person is staying out of the discussions surrounding the reigning world champion as much as possible: McLaren boss Zak Brown. “I couldn’t be happier with Oscar [Piastri] and Lando [Norris],” he clarifies.
This also means that a connection between the Dutchman and the Woking-based team is out of the question in the near future. Brown sees no reason to shake up his current driver lineup. “So my interest is limited to that of an attentive spectator,” the American told TSN.
“I only deal with this topic to the extent that it pops up on my phone,” Brown said. And that’s where the Verstappen topic is likely to be present almost every day. This is because there is still no final decision regarding his future beyond 2026.
Wolff: Verstappen move unlikely
However, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff made it clear that the likelihood of signing Verstappen for 2026 is low. “If you look at our situation with Kimi [Antonelli] and George [Russell], we have a perfect driver duo that we really appreciate and see a future with,” Wolff told Sky Sports F1 a few weeks ago.
However, he added that a definitive ruling on the future could not be made. “There is also a four-time world champion who has to decide what he wants to do in the future. And as team boss, you have to watch how things develop. However, I think it’s very unlikely that it will actually happen.”
“You don’t know what things will look like in three or five years. That’s why you have to think long term,” Wolff points out. And as long as Verstappen leaves his future open, the topic is likely to continue popping up on Zak Brown’s smartphone.
