Brown lyrical over Verstappen, but admits: 'He is beatable!'
F1 News
McLaren CEO Zak Brown has praised one of their biggest rivals, Max Verstappen after the Dutchman won the Qatar Grand Prix. Verstappen finished in just eighth place in the sprint race, whilst McLaren finished one-two. On race day and after a battle with Lando Norris, Verstappen came out on top after the Brit was penalised for not slowing down for double yellow flags. The American praised Verstappen in conversation with De Telegraaf but admits that Verstappen is beatable...
Brown: 'He's always on top'
"Just look at Brazil. One of the best performances I've seen in my life. I still raced against Max's father, Jos, and I think he was also fast enough to be the world champion, but he had some bad luck in his career. I have been watching Formula 1 for more than 35 years now, and Max is one of the greatest drivers ever. He is beatable, but you really have to bring your 'A+ game'. When was the last time we saw Max in the gravel trap? It is impressive how he is always on top and doesn't make mistakes," Brown said.
More or less, Verstappen sealed the title in Brazil with a stunning victory in the wet from 17th on the grid. Yes, McLaren has been rapid this season, but they haven't been as consistent as Verstappen, who is now a four-time consecutive world champion.
Brown: 'Red have lost key figures for the future'
Christian Horner said after the Las Vegas Grand Prix that he expects 2025 to be an absolutely thrilling season. On any given day, Mercedes, McLaren, Red Bull or Ferrari can win the Grand Prix. Brown is expecting Red Bull to have a tougher year in 2026, however. There will be a huge regulations switch up, and Cadillac will be joining the grid as the 11th team.
"Red Bull has lost key people, and I think we haven't seen the full effects of that yet. It's a good team, but you also have to look at the culture and the atmosphere. For them, 2026 will be an even bigger challenge. That's when they came with their own engine for the first time, and I don't remember a team with its own engine being immediately competitive in the first year. That still poses a big question mark."
This article was written in collaboration with Esteban den Toom
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