McLaren F1 chief targets Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen

McLaren chief targets Max Verstappen

Zak Brown is impressed by the four-time world champion

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Thursday 18 September 2025 19:43

McLaren F1 CEO Zak Brown has targeted Max Verstappen in a cryptic team-mate admission.

While Brown has invested long-term in Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri at McLaren, he has also made his respect for four-time champion Verstappen known in the press.

Recently, the Dutchman stepped out of his RB21 and into a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS, to obtain the DMSB Permit A needed to compete in GT3 machinery.

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Verstappen successfully acquired the permit, and is now free to compete in the ninth round of the Nurburgring Langstrecken Series (NLS) on 26-27 September, which takes place in between the Azerbaijan and Singapore Grands Prix.

The champion’s endurance race debut garnered interest from 1.3 millions viewers who tuned in on YouTube to watch Verstappen, alongside praise from his colleagues in the F1 paddock.

Brown praises Verstappen

Earlier this year, Verstappen publicly highlighted his interest in GT3 when he completed a test at the Nurburgring under the pseudonym of Franz Hermann, which impressed McLaren CEO Brown in an interview ahead of the Dutch GP.

Speaking to Dutch publication De Telegraaf, Brown lauded Verstappen’s attempts in endurance racing and targeted him as a team-mate in the category.

"Well, ideally, I'd like to have Max as my teammate in endurance racing. Because he recently showed at the Nordschleife under a pseudonym just how fast he is there too," said Brown.

The American even made a cryptic reference to Verstappen joining McLaren in the future, although maintained his commitment to his current lineup of drivers.

"Max is a fantastic driver, a four-time champion for a reason. It's a pleasure for me to work with all the drivers in the McLaren program anyway. And with Max? Who knows, someday..."

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