Brown, Verstappen, socials — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Verstappen becomes iconic horror movie character to haunt Zak Brown

The Dutchman is hunting down Brown's star man Lando Norris

Chris Deeley

Tuesday 2 December 2025 16:52

F1 champion Max Verstappen has responded to Zak Brown's comments likening him to a horror movie villain, picking out his new character himself.

The McLaren boss likened Verstappen to a generic horror character before the Qatar Grand Prix in reference to his uncanny ability to stay in this year's title hunt despite seeming dead and buried.

"He's like that guy in a horror movie," Brown said, "that right as you think he's not coming back, he's back!"

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After that analogy from Brown, Verstappen proceeded to halve Lando Norris' championship lead at the very next time of asking, putting himself up into second place in the championship standings for the first time in the last 20 rounds.

Verstappen: Call me Chucky!

Asked about Brown's comments, Verstappen joked: "He can call me Chucky! I don't know. I saw it [Brown's comments] as well. I thought it was quite funny.

"From my side, I just focus on myself. I know that when I go in the car, I just try to do the best – like, I guess, everyone does. But, yeah, that's the only thing I can control, right? And that's the only thing I focus on."

Chucky, of course, is the iconic villain of the film Child's Play, as well as its six (yes, six) sequels, plus three seasons of spin-off/sequel TV show 'Chucky', and a 2019 reboot of the original Child's Play.

Yep. That seems...that seems pretty hard to kill. Maybe Brown could've modernised his metaphor. 'He's like that horror movie franchise, that right when you think they can't squeeze a penny more out of it...Syfy and the USA Network turn up to make 24 hour-long episodes of TV about it'.

Come to think of it, his version was pithier.

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Max Verstappen Zak Brown