Zak Brown wants to get rid of 'disruptive' Max Verstappen

McLaren F1 boss Zak Brown is growing increasingly fed up with Max Verstappen, admitting he wants him out of the way as soon as possible.

The flamboyant team boss is eager to see the four-time world champion out of the title battle quickly, so that Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri can concentrate fully on duking it out.

McLaren looked set to cruise to both the constructors’ and drivers’ titles with relative ease but, while the team is currently on track to secure the constructors’ crown, the drivers’ championship has become a bit more unpredictable – much of which is thanks to Verstappen.

Red Bull have upped their game since the summer break, with Verstappen taking advantage of his improved pace in both Italy and Azerbaijan. On each of those weekends, the Dutch driver not only clinched pole position but also won the race on Sunday, putting renewed pressure on both Norris and Piastri.

Brown admits Verstappen is a 'disruptor'

Brown appears to be starting to feel the pressure, noting to Bloomberg that the gap between Verstappen and Piastri shrank from over 100 points before Monza to a mere 69 now. If the Dutchman continues his strong form in Singapore next weekend, McLaren might face significant challenges.

"The disruptor! We definitely have to keep an eye on Max," Brown said.

"We just have to keep doing what we're doing. Things are looking very good in the constructors' championship. We already had a chance to clinch the title in Baku, but let's not talk about that anymore. Hopefully, we can pull it off in Singapore."

"We want our two drivers and Max—although we hope to get rid of him as quickly as possible—to be able to fight for the championship, and that they have equal opportunities and equal resources.

"That's exactly what we're doing. Let the best driver win. That's our goal: to play as little role as possible ourselves."

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