Zak Brown hopes Verstappen remains with Red Bull.

      "Red Bull is primarily stating that their absence will not be felt."

      Zak Brown indicates that while he is not surprised by Red Bull's performance, their efficient pitlane operations have recently suffered. Just over a year ago, during a time of political upheaval and scandals at the team, Max Verstappen was still completely in control. Following that period, several key figures, including Adrian Newey, left the team, and Jonathan Wheatley’s transition from Red Bull to Audi is believed to be connected to the team’s recent slower pit stops and difficulties in pitlane operations.

      "When you lose talents like Adrian Newey, Rob Marshall, Jonathan Wheatley, and likely others, it's not surprising," said McLaren CEO Brown. "According to reports, Red Bull implies they won’t be missed, yet it appears they are," the American, who is not a supporter of Red Bull and is in a championship competition for 2025, told De Telegraaf newspaper. "Rob Marshall is now with us as chief designer, and he’s an exceptionally clever engineer. I can clearly see the contributions he’s made to our team; he’s doing an excellent job," Brown added.

      However, Brown acknowledges that what Red Bull can rely on is Verstappen. He expressed that he hopes Red Bull can retain the four-time world champion. "In the current scenario, I would prefer to see Max driving for Red Bull rather than for Mercedes," he stated.

      If Verstappen were to move to Mercedes, it would be amid speculation that the German team will once again excel with the new engine regulations. Meanwhile, Red Bull is set to produce its own power units in partnership with Ford for this new era. "There’s extensive discussion regarding the engines for next year, but no one can be certain who will be best positioned," said Brown. "What I can say is that I have immense confidence in Mercedes."

      He believes that Red Bull's ongoing push for last-minute rule changes indicates their concern about the 2026 regulations. "If you feel competitive, you wouldn’t want any alterations," Brown remarked. "Mercedes seems very settled."

      Recently, it was reported that Brown contacted Verstappen’s management, a claim he has not denied. "It's my responsibility to survey the market and stay informed," he explained. "At that time, I was also negotiating a new contract for my driver (Oscar Piastri). I wanted to assess any potential shifts that could have a domino effect, as that might increase interest in my driver again. That's why I made a few inquiries," Brown clarified.

      Verstappen even joked that the phone call ended quickly when his manager mentioned enormous sums of money. "Let’s just say," Brown chuckled, "I gathered the information I required during that call."

      The competition between Red Bull and McLaren is expected to continue for a while. In Miami, Brown playfully mocked Red Bull by drinking from a water bottle labeled "Tyre Water." He is now challenging Red Bull to file an official protest regarding the implication of unlawfully injecting water into the tyres. "The protest fee should be sufficiently high that a team would carefully contemplate filing an appeal," Brown told Auto Motor und Sport.

      Red Bull is also counting on the FIA’s restrictions on flexible wings, set for implementation in Barcelona, to hinder McLaren’s performance. "That rule change does not concern us at all," Brown asserts. "We are not worried about it. There have been numerous claims from others about our car recently, none of which have been accurate. But if they’re distracted and fixated on our vehicle instead of their own performance, that can only benefit us."