McLaren team principal Zak Brown has revealed that the team remains open to the possibility of signing Max Verstappen in the future, despite the Dutch driver recently renewing his contract with Red Bull Racing. Brown described his conversations with Verstappen as positive and characterized the driver as "charming," highlighting a mutual respect that could pave the way for potential collaboration.
Verstappen, who extended his deal with Red Bull last month, reportedly retains exit clauses within his contract that McLaren could seek to leverage as early as next year. While these discussions between McLaren and Verstappen’s representatives have so far been exploratory, Brown confirmed the team’s continued interest in the two-time world champion.
“I spoke to Max a few times last summer, because I wanted to get to know him better,” Brown said. “If I could use one word to describe him, it would be a word that hadn’t occurred to me before those conversations: charming.” He added that he found Verstappen’s character and competitiveness impressive and believes racing alongside him would be a formidable challenge.
Despite expressing enthusiasm, Brown emphasized his satisfaction with McLaren’s current driver lineup. The team recently secured long-term commitments from both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Norris signed a new contract reportedly worth £30 million per year, extending his stay through 2030, while Piastri is under contract for the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
Nonetheless, Brown indicated that McLaren’s interest in Verstappen remains alive, with the door open for negotiations targeting future seasons beyond the current deals. “The door is still wide open for Max, for 2028, 2029, or any year, for that matter,” he stated. “I enjoyed getting to know him better and would love to work with him someday.”
The prospect of Verstappen joining McLaren would mark a significant shift in Formula 1’s competitive landscape, given Red Bull Racing’s dominance in recent years. However, for now, the discussions remain preliminary, with both sides yet to formalize any potential agreement.