McLaren CEO Zak Brown has expressed that he is unsurprised by Red Bull's recent dip in performance and pitlane efficiency, while revealing his preference for Max Verstappen to remain with the team rather than join rivals like Mercedes.
Just over a year ago, as Red Bull started to grapple with political turmoil and scandals, Verstappen was still dominating the championship.
Since then, key figures like Adrian Newey have departed, and Jonathan Wheatley's move to Audi has been linked to Red Bull's slower pitstops, operational hiccups and mistakes. "If you lose men like Adrian Newey, Rob Marshall, Jonathan Wheatley and probably more people than that, this is not so strange," Brown told De Telegraaf.
"From what I read, Red Bull is mostly saying they won't be missed. But it seems like they are."
Brown in particular highlighted the impact of former Red Bull designer Rob Marshall, now McLaren's chief designer. "Rob Marshall is now with us as chief designer and he's a very smart engineer," he said. "I can see exactly what he's brought to our team. He's doing a fantastic job."
Despite Red Bull's challenges, Brown acknowledged Verstappen's enduring value, stating, "If you ask me now in the current situation, I would rather see Max driving for Red Bull than for Mercedes."
A potential Verstappen move to Mercedes could coincide with strong speculation that the German team will excel under the 2026 engine regulations, while Red Bull embarks on producing its own power units with Ford. "There is a lot of talk about the engines next year, but no one can be sure who is in the best position," Brown said.
"What I can say is that I have an incredible amount of confidence in Mercedes."
He pointed to Red Bull's push for last-minute 2026 rule changes as a sign of concern, noting, "If you think you are competitive, you don't want to change anything. I can see with Mercedes that they seem very comfortable."
Brown admitted to contacting Verstappen's management earlier this year, a call Verstappen jokingly said ended when his manager quoted exorbitant figures. "It's my job to explore the market and to know what's going on," Brown explained.
"We can't forget that at that time I was also negotiating with my own driver (Oscar Piastri) about a new contract. I wanted to be able to estimate whether a possible stone could fall, which could cause a domino effect. Because that could trigger interest in my driver again. That's why I made a few inquiries."
As for the high price of signing Verstappen, he added with a laugh, "Let me put it this way. During the phone call I got the information I needed."
The rivalry between McLaren and Red Bull remains sharp, with Brown recently taunting Red Bull in Miami by sipping from a "Tyre Water" bottle in response to their suspicions about McLaren's tyre management.
He challenged Red Bull to formalise their accusations, telling Auto Motor und Sport, "The protest fee should be set high enough that a team will carefully consider whether to actually file an appeal."
Brown also dismissed concerns about the FIA's upcoming clampdown on flexible wings in Barcelona, stating, "That makes no difference to us. We are not at all worried about that rule change. There have been a lot of suggestions from others about our car in the past period, and none of it has been accurate. But the more they are distracted and focused on our car instead of their own performance, that can only be a good thing for us."
