Max Verstappen, a member of the Red Bull Racing team, expressed his disapproval of comments made by McLaren Formula 1 CEO Zak Brown. Brown suggested that the departure of Adrian Newey, a renowned designer at Red Bull, could lead to a mass exodus of team members. Reports indicate that Brown’s comments led to an increase in job applications from Red Bull affiliates to McLaren. Toto Wolff, Team Principal of Mercedes, further fueled the controversy by supporting Brown’s statement and mentioning that Red Bull has already hired 220 people from Mercedes. Verstappen believes that Brown’s comments are an attempt to destabilize the current World Champions. He stated that such statements have no impact on the team and personally he does not pay much attention to them.
Verstappen also hinted that other senior members of the Red Bull team have long-term contracts, despite Newey’s imminent departure. However, he acknowledged that the team’s stability depends on the happiness and satisfaction of its individuals. Verstappen emphasized that agreements can never guarantee certainty in life and that human aspects, such as feeling appreciated within the team, play a significant role.
Although there have been rumors linking Verstappen to a possible move to Mercedes, he reiterated his intention to stay at Red Bull. Oliver Mintzlaff, CEO of Red Bull, criticized Wolff for publicly pursuing Verstappen and suggested that he should focus on resolving issues within the Mercedes team.
