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Zak Brown McLaren CEO calls Red Bull a 'toxic environment'

Zak Brown lashes out at 'unstable' Red Bull

13 June at 08:15
Last update 13 June at 09:06
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  • Renate van Holst

Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren, has made a striking comment about Red Bull Racing. Brown told the Bloomberg Hot Pursuit podcast that he believes Red Bull is an unstable environment.

Red Bull is unstable according to Brown

"Red Bull is a toxic environment," Brown says. During an appearance on the Bloomberg Hot Pursuit podcast, the CEO says he thinks his rival Red Bull is a good racing team, but very unstable politically.

"The departure of Adrian Newey is a big deal because I think a lot of people were eager to work with him," Brown says. "There are a lot of CVs flying around." According to the American, this is always the case in F1, but at Red Bull, he sees a greater degree of discomfort within the team. The American also foresees problems with sponsors for Red Bull. "Sponsors pay attention to who they are associated with and what those individuals stand for. I think this is a tricky situation."

The future of Max Verstappen and his father Jos is also still unclear, according to Brown. "Will he stay or will he go?" wonders Brown. "His father is very outspoken." Although Verstappen has a contract with the six-time world constructors champions until 2028, Brown believes this could still change. The 60-time Grand Prix winner has previously been linked with a move to Mercedes.