Brown acknowledges discussions with Verstappen, while the engine update has been postponed.

      Zak Brown has confirmed that McLaren engaged in discussions with Max Verstappen's team, but he stressed that there is currently no opportunity for the four-time world champion. After days of speculation connecting Verstappen to McLaren, Brown was directly questioned at Silverstone about the seriousness of these discussions. "They didn’t lead anywhere," the McLaren CEO stated. "I have my two drivers, so there's nothing to report." When asked if that meant any potential move was unlikely in the near future, Brown replied, "Correct." He also emphasized that McLaren has no available race seat. "I haven’t really considered that because I have two drivers in place," Brown said in response to what McLaren could offer Verstappen. "What I couldn’t offer him was a seat in my race car. However, I believe McLaren is an outstanding team. We have a fantastic race team that has achieved a lot of success, and I think it's a great place to work, whether you're a racing driver, team principal, or mechanic."

      Additionally, Brown explained why McLaren has yet to adopt Mercedes’ latest engine specification, despite customer teams being eligible to receive it. "We need to cycle through our engines, and our current engines still have life left in them," he said. "We must wait for an engine change. Williams received theirs due to Carlos having his issues. It's simply a matter of timing." Brown acknowledged that McLaren is eager to get the latest specification as soon as possible. "Whenever you know performance improvements are available but not yet implemented in your car, you want to obtain it quickly," he noted. "But I wouldn’t call it a frustration; it is what it is, and we just keep working hard. It won’t be long before it’s integrated." When asked if McLaren had specifically requested the upgraded engine for Silverstone, Brown replied, "I don’t believe we made that request."