Zak Brown happy with line-up after Max Verstappen McLaren rumours

McLaren Racing’s CEO Zak Brown has doubled down on the Max Verstappen rumours, confirming the Woking-based team is happy with their current driver line-up.

Feature image credit: McLaren Racing

Silly season has once again ignited around Red Bull Racing’s Verstappen. Mercedes, you say? No. Not this time. McLaren is the rumoured target. Starting ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, the fallout has continued to follow the Formula 1 circus to Silverstone.

The four-time world champion has recently become the talk of the current driver market amid reports that representatives within the Verstappen camp had met with the reigning world champion, fuelling uncertainty on the Dutchman’s time at Red Bull.

However, Brown has doubled down on the Verstappen rumours, confirming he is happy with his two drivers, who helped the team defend their world title last season. At the British Grand Prix, Brown said:

“They’re rumours? No conversations. I usually don’t talk about my dinners, but last night I had dinner with Nigel Mansell, which was really cool. He’s won this race a bunch.

“I’m very happy with my two racing drivers, Lando and Oscar, and I think any time a name like Max is thrown around everyone gets pretty excited. Four-time World Champion, but very happy with our driver line-up.”

The Rise Of Racing Bulls: Can They Keep The Double-Points Streak Going At Silverstone?

When asked if the team were to make a change to the driver lineup, it wouldn’t be anytime soon, Brown simply responded:

“Correct.”

Both McLaren drivers are contracted on multi-year deals, as is Verstappen, who is well-known to be contracted to the Milton Keynes-based team until 2028.

However, the four-time world champion has previously voiced his stance on retirement if he doesn’t enjoy the current regulations.

At this point in time, Red Bull are yet to score their first win of the season, trailing Mercedes and Ferrari, who have notched race wins on their belts already.

This wasn’t helped by their early troubles with their cars being slow off the line, like Mercedes, and falling backwards, forcing both their drivers, Isack Hadjar and Verstappen, to recover from lights out.

Hamilton dominates sprint qualifying to take pole at British Grand Prix

Verstappen currently stands seventh in the drivers’ championship, with 73 points to his name, six points away from both McLaren’s Lando Norris and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, in fifth and sixth, respectively.

His current championship position stands as his lowest championship position since his rookie season back in 2015, when he finished 12th overall.

Read more Formula 1 here:

• Hamilton dominates sprint qualifying to take pole at British Grand Prix
• Hamilton tops sole practice at British Grand Prix
• Mercedes can’t assume their recent performance will continue at British Grand Prix
• Ferrari identified improvements ahead of British Grand Prix
• The Rise Of Racing Bulls: Can They Keep The Double-Points Streak Going At Silverstone?
• Formula 1 brings back LEGO cars for British Grand Prix
• Jeremy Clarkson’s Farm set to feed Alpine at British Grand Prix

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Kamron Kent

Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.

I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.

Kamron Kent

Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.