F1 champion claims McLaren have no choice but to sign Max Verstappen

Credit for photo: Red Bull Content Pool — Photo: © IMAGO

Max Verstappen

McLaren have no choice but to sign Max Verstappen, claims F1 champion

Max Verstappen to McLaren is the hot paddock rumour

Chris Deeley

Friday 3 July 2026 21:57

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One-time F1 champion Jenson Button has warned that Max Verstappen being willing to leave Red Bull could force McLaren into a corner.

Rumours of Verstappen's departure from Red Bull have been doing the rounds for more than a year now, and have yielded precisely zero actual driver transfers.

Nevertheless, there remains a very real exit clause in the Dutchman's contract, and people around the sport continue to have strong thoughts about new addendums to the prevailing narrative.

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The most recent was that McLaren could be the next in line – papaya and a very Dutch orange are basically the same thing, right? – despite all parties involved immediately shooting that down.

McLaren boss Zak Brown was unequivocal, telling Will Buxton this week 'I'm not making any driver changes', while Verstappen's manager Raymond Vermeulen told Bild: 'There’s no truth in that. There have been no negotiations'.

Button: McLaren boss in a tough position

Instead then, we turn to Aston Martin ambassador and Sky F1 pundit Jenson Button, who insisted this week (speaking in the latter role, not the former) that McLaren 'have to' sign up the four-time world champion if there's any chance of him penning a deal to drive for the reigning constructors' champions.

"You have to (take Max)," he said. "Zak is a very difficult position though because he’s got two drivers who were fighting for a world championship last year, and a four-time world champion that’s possibly wanting to drive for his team.

"For Lando, you’ve got to be happy with Max coming, because you’ve got to go up against the best. That’s what you’re here to do.

"Whether he would come out on top I don’t know, but it would be a good fight."

Zak Brown's extended quotes denying that McLaren will move for Max Verstappen

"I've got two awesome racing drivers, so if I had a third car, I'd sign him in a heartbeat...But I don't have a third car, so I couldn't be happier with Lando and Oscar.

"We won 14 races last year. Two drivers that came down to the last race of the year with the chance to win the championship. They get along great. They set a great tone in the garage. So, I'm not making any driver changes.

"I said at the weekend, if someone slips on a banana peel, which is not the plan, then, yeah, I mean, you know, any racing series is about getting the best drivers in the world and giving them the best equipment."

"Max is an awesome talent, but I think Lando and Oscar have both demonstrated they can beat him straight up."

"No, I don't have a seat available. If a seat was available, then of course you have that conversation but Lando and Oscar have their names engraved on their race seat and they haven't emptied out their lockers, so they're not going anywhere."

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F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen McLaren Zak Brown Jenson Button