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McLaren Boss Open to Teaming Up with Max Verstappen: Could It Happen?
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Highlights
- McLaren currently leads F1 with drivers Piastri and Norris.
- Verstappen trails third, 94 points behind McLaren leaders.
- McLaren plans WEC endurance racing program starting in 2027.
- CEO Zak Brown open to teaming with Verstappen outside F1.
- McLaren aims for first constructors’ title since early 1990s.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown leaves the door open to working with Max Verstappen, potentially outside Formula 1, as McLaren leads the 2025 campaign and manages a finely balanced driver dynamic.
Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris own 11 wins from 14 races and are split by 31 points. Verstappen sits third, 94 behind, as Red Bull trails McLaren’s sustained execution.
Piastri and Norris are separated by 31 points after 14 races, underpinning McLaren’s title push.
Brown reiterates confidence in his current pairing, making any F1 move for Verstappen unlikely in the short term. Stability remains central to McLaren’s constructors’ push after decades without the title.
Where Brown is flexible is endurance racing. He praises Verstappen’s recent anonymous Nürburgring laps and notes McLaren’s planned 2027 World Endurance Championship (WEC) program as a potential intersection.
“Max is a fantastic driver… And with Max? Who knows, someday…” — Zak Brown
An extra-programme role would let Verstappen showcase multi-discipline adaptability without disrupting F1 priorities. It also fits McLaren’s schedule, with endurance testing and homologation ramping up before 2027.
Brown’s openness is shaped by history. He raced against Jos Verstappen in Formula Opel Lotus, rating him talented yet unlucky with timing, including the Benetton years alongside Michael Schumacher.
McLaren leads the standings on 617 points, ahead of Ferrari and Mercedes. Red Bull is fourth on 239, while Verstappen’s medium-term plans remain fluid amid his Red Bull 2026 outlook.
[pb_fervogear_custom]McLaren sits on 617 points, with Red Bull fourth on 239, emphasizing the scale of the turnaround.[/pb_fervogear_custom]
Strategically, McLaren must balance title execution with endurance ramp-up. The resource split mirrors wider industry trends toward portfolio racing, commercial reach, and technology transfer.
Brown summarises the stance succinctly: keep winning in F1, explore synergies elsewhere. That makes an F1 reunion improbable now, but a future Verstappen-McLaren endurance pairing plausible.
Visual Summary
McLaren Reigns. Verstappen Next?
Zak Brown hints at
an open door for future collaboration
as McLaren dominates F1 while Verstappen trails — but perhaps a team-up is waiting beyond the next curve.
an open door for future collaboration
as McLaren dominates F1 while Verstappen trails — but perhaps a team-up is waiting beyond the next curve.
617
McLaren Points
(Norris/Piastri)
239
Verstappen/Red Bull
3rd in chase
31 pts
Norris vs Piastri
(Title gap)
🏁
Future: WEC Endurance?
🏎️
Zak Brown: “Max is a fantastic driver… Someday?”
Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.
