Max Verstappen to Mercedes: an unbeatable combination?

By now, everyone knows that Max Verstappen is thinking about his future: will he stay with Red Bull Racing in 2026, or will the Dutchman switch to Mercedes?

The latter scenario indeed scares Brown, which seems justified, because as the leader of a customer team of Mercedes, Brown has a good insight into how strong the Germans' power unit is going to be in '26.

In the paddock, there's a sense that Formula 1 will be a power unit dominated series next year - more important than the chassis - and whoever has the strongest engine might just prove unbeatable. Mercedes has three customer teams lined up for 2026, which, besides McLaren, are Williams and Alpine.

If these cars, thanks to the expectedly strong engines, are closely matched, then the driver makes the difference.

Should Verstappen switch to Mercedes, take a look at the list of names: Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Alexander Albon, Carlos Sainz, Pierre Gasly and probably Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Is any one of these men a better driver than Verstappen?

Brown sees this and calls Verstappen 'awesome', the same word he used to describe Mercedes. So, the CEO of McLaren hopes that Verstappen stays with Red Bull Racing, the team that is expected to have a tough first year with its in'house built power units.

Whether or not Verstappen makes the switch will probably become apparent during the summer break. Then, the Dutchman will make the decision for his near future. Brown, in any case, is prepared for any scenario.