McLaren CEO: Max Verstappen at Mercedes Bigger Threat Than at Red Bull

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown shared his concerns about Max Verstappen’s potential move to Mercedes F1 team, saying that it would be a greater threat than it is to Red Bull. George Russell recently admitted that his contract extension was pending in the middle of the current talks between Mercedes and Verstappen.

Although the current Red Bull contract of the world champion expires at the end of 2028, Verstappen could still separate from his team with the help of an exit clause.

Verstappen promised his loyalty to Red Bull, and the director of the Mercedes team Toto Wolff, admitted to Austria last weekend that there was very little chance that Verstappen became a driver of Mercedes in 2026.

Related: the Mercedes team boss reveals the probability of signing Max Verstappen for 2026

However, speculation suggests that the talks between the two parties have recently intensified, which led Brown to assert that Verstappen in Mercedes would be difficult to compete. Addressing the media before the British Grand Prix, he said:

“It’s a bit frightening. I think Mercedes is clearly on a forward trajectory, Red Bull is clearly not at the moment, and Max is an incredible talent.

“So Max in a Mercedes – it’s a fairly serious competition.”

Brown recognized that the fight for the 2025 championship is not limited only to its drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Since there are 13 Grands Prix remaining until the end of season F1, Verstappen, which is classified third in the championship, and Russell, in fourth position, represents a significant threat. He added:

“No, it’s too early. It’s an incredible talent of course, and I don’t think George Russell is out of the game. You know we are not even halfway this season.

“We see how fast our season has turned around last year. There is absolutely no reason why this cannot happen with Max or the Mercedes specifically.

“George, because of the place where he is in the points, and even Ferrari, so I think we just have to keep doing what we are doing. It’s great that we have a good lead.

“It’s great that we extended it this weekend last weekend, but we have a lot of race to do, so I still think that you have four pilots realistically in the fight for the pilot championship.”

Brown said McLaren currently had the best range of drivers in sport and suggested that he would not seek anywhere else. He said:

“No, I could not be more satisfied with our driver range. I said it from the first day that I think we have the best pilot program in Formula 1 – I think we are sitting here at the moment, it would be difficult to assert that it is statistically true.

“And because of the characters, they are the talent they are on the track, I would not exchange our two pilots against other pilots on the grid.”