Jos Verstappen has accused Zak Brown, the CEO of McLaren, of sowing discord with his prediction that Max Verstappen, Jos’s son, will jump ship from Red Bull to Mercedes at the conclusion of this racing season. This claim by Brown has stirred the pot in the world of Formula 1, as the younger Verstappen’s bid for a fifth title hangs in the balance following a challenging previous season for the Red Bull team.
Red Bull faced both on-track and off-track difficulties last season, causing some to question its future. The team had to part ways with Adrian Newey, their design genius, and also made a misstep in developing their car. The situation was further complicated by team principal Christian Horner’s legal issues, though he has since been exonerated.
Despite these setbacks, Verstappen managed to end a 10-race winless streak with a victory in Brazil and followed it up with a title in Las Vegas. However, with only two wins in the final 13 races, uncertainty looms over Verstappen’s future with the team.
For the first time in nearly three years, Verstappen found himself in the role of the pursuer rather than the pursued in the Drivers’ standings. His performance in the first qualifying session of the season, where he was outperformed by McLaren, added to the speculation. Although he had previously battled from 17th place to first in a wet race in Brazil, he could only manage a move from third to second in the previous race, thanks to an off-track error by Oscar Piastri.
The McLaren CEO, Brown, is of the opinion that Verstappen’s tenure with Red Bull is nearing its end. He told the Telegraph, “I think he’ll leave at the end of this year, most likely to Merc. There’s been talk of Aston Martin, too, with Adrian Newey joining. But as great as Adrian is — and he’s the greatest ever — you need a whole team around you. You need the culture. That takes time.”
Brown added, “In the last 10 years, they’ve won the championship seven or eight times. Last year they won five races. They have stability. We know Toto [Wolff, Mercedes principal and one-third team owner] likes him. And I think we all feel HPP [Mercedes High Performance Powertrains] is best-equipped on the power unit side heading into the new engine regulations next year.”
However, Jos Verstappen, Max’s father and trusted advisor, dismissed Brown’s predictions as an attempt to undermine the relationship between Max and Red Bull. In a social media response to Brown’s comments, Jos Verstappen stated, “He [is] only is trying to stir sh*t.” The senior Verstappen’s response indicates that the war of words in the world of Formula 1 is nowhere near its end.
