Zak Brown has fired in some brutal digs at Red Bull, suggesting that he would rather see Max Verstappen driving for them than Mercedes next season. The McLaren Racing CEO also stated that Christian Horner’s squad would likely be behind sister team Racing Bulls without the services of the four-time world champion.
The 2025 campaign has been a challenging one for Red Bull and Verstappen, with the latter hanging on desperately as he chases a record-equalling fifth successive Drivers’ Championship title. Heading into the British Grand Prix, the 27-year-old trails series leader Oscar Piastri by 61 points. For Red Bull, the outlook is far bleaker.Horner’s squad are being left behind in the Constructors’ Championship standings, with the gap to third-placed Mercedes currently standing at 47 points. This deficit can be chalked down to the struggles of Yuki Tsunoda, who has just three top-10 finishes to his name this season.
The ongoing turmoil in Milton Keynes has destabilised Verstappen’s future. Reports from Sky Italy ahead of the British GP suggested that he is now in full-fledged talks with rivals Mercedes, leaving Horner and Helmut Marko in a worrying position.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 about the reigning world champion’s future ahead of McLaren’s home race, Brown said: “I’m a believer of when there’s smoke, there’s fire. If everyone was committed to their seats, that’s what they would be saying.
“The fact that everyone’s talking and no one is confirming anything tells me there are conversations going on. I said a while ago I wouldn’t be surprised to see Max in a Mercedes.”
When asked if he thinks this could happen as soon as 2026, Brown continued: “I don’t think that is out of the question. I think I’d rather see Max in a Red Bull at the moment than in a Mercedes, because he’s doing an unbelievable job, of course.”
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Brown was then quizzed about where Red Bull would be without the Dutchman. “They would probably be behind AlphaTauri (Racing Bulls),” he replied. “They have done a great job and have a great racing car, so I think Max is carrying them at the moment.”