Zak Brown has hinted that McLaren would only look at Max Verstappen if one of Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri left the team, not as a direct replacement for either driver.
Verstappen put his Red Bull future into question earlier this year and hasn’t ruled out a move away in the near future. He’s also been linked with McLaren since then, especially after the team hired his long-time race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase.
Lambiase is set to join McLaren by 2028 at the latest, taking on the role of chief racing officer to help ease some of Andrea Stella’s workload. The strong relationship between Lambiase and Verstappen has naturally led to speculation about a possible move.
If Verstappen did become available, reports have suggested McLaren would be more likely to replace Piastri than Norris. The Dutchman could even hit the market as soon as this year, with his contract reportedly including a release clause that runs through 2028.
Between August and October, Verstappen will have the option to trigger his release clause if he isn’t in the top two of the drivers’ standings at the summer break. But Brown hasn’t indicated any plans for McLaren to pursue him, saying he’s more than satisfied with Norris and Piastri.
If Brown had to guess where Verstappen might go after Red Bull, he’d put his money on Mercedes. While the team has always kept an eye on him, Toto Wolff ruled out a move in public statements back in March.
Brown told Sky Sports: “From McLaren’s point of view, I couldn’t be happier with Lando and Oscar. We have long-term agreements with them, and I think it is the greatest driver pairing on and off the track, so we have no intention of replacing any of our two superstars.
“Obviously, if one were to go away, yeah, Max is a huge talent, but I’m not anticipating that. Where might he go? If I had to bet, I’d say to Mercedes.”
Piastri is said to have a break clause that could allow him to leave if he believes Norris is being favoured within the team.
Mercedes could be a more straightforward option for Verstappen if he decides to move on from Red Bull since Russell’s current deal only runs through 2026.
There’s even speculation that Russell’s extension could depend on him winning this year’s drivers’ championship. If that’s true – it would close off Mercedes as an option for Verstappen.
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