Zak Brown believes 'six or seven drivers' could be champion with Red Bull
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- Nicole Mulder
Zak Brown does not believe Max Verstappen could become world champion today with any team other than Red Bull Racing. The McLaren CEO touts the importance of both a strong car and a star driver, stating that there would be as many as "six or seven other drivers" currently capable of becoming world champion in the RB20.
"At the end of the day, you need them both," Brown stresses the importance of both driver and car on the Beyond the Grid podcast. "I don't think you are going to win without a star driver, so you need both. Firstly, it starts with the car. People always ask me: is it the car or the driver? It's 'both'."
'Verstappen wouldn't become champion without Red Bull'
The McLaren CEO does not believe Verstappen is the only driver on the grid capable of winning in Adrian Newey's RB20. "I think there are six, seven drivers on the grid who would be world champions with the Red Bull. As great as Max is, and he is one of the best ever, I don't think Max would win the world championship in any car other than the Red Bull at this point," the 52-year-old American says firmly.
"Looking at the difference - Sergio Perez is an excellent driver who has shown he can race Max from time to time - but look at the difference. I think you need them both because as the F1 field gets closer together, Max is still doing extremely well," Brown stressed.
"But look at what happens from P2, P3, P4 and P5. One day we are P2, the next day we are P5 and it all keeps moving. The cars are so close together that the driver is going to make the difference. In the end, you need them both," said the CEO of McLaren.