Amid Verstappen to Mercedes rumours does Brown open the door to the Dutchman?

22:07, 03 Jul

byEstéban den Toom

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has raised eyebrows with a statement about Max Verstappen and his two drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. At VirginUK, Brown was asked what he would do if Verstappen could and wanted to come to McLaren. The answer was at least remarkable.

Should Verstappen want to move to McLaren, and should he be available, then Zak Brown, the CEO of the McLaren Formula 1 team, would not use him in the starting lineup. He would simply continue with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. “100%,” the American said to the British media. There are currently rumors that Verstappen might move to Mercedes, but no final decision has been made.

Brown about Norris and Piastri

"100% my guys. I love my guys. 25, 23 [years old], as fast as anyone. Great guys. Their personalities work so well together. They have different characters, they're both asesome, and to me I think this is what's driven McLaren's success here recently."

"It's our culture, it's our people and that starts with your drivers. So if you can get that vibe in the garage where you've got Lando and Oscar obviously fiercely competitive with each other bur teammates and team players, I don't want to change anything."

Verstappen is not at all linked with the McLaren team, but if he suddenly went to the team from Woking, he should not count on Brown receiving him with open arms, despite reaching out to the Dutchman's camp earlier on in the year.

On the Wednesday evening before the British Grand Prix weekend got underway, Brown already responded to the rumors surrounding Verstappen. “You’re never totally sure. But I am a believer that where there’s smoke, there's fire. If everyone was committed to their seats next year, that's what everyone would be saying. The fact that everyone's talking, no one's confirming everything, anything, tells me there are definitely conversations going on."