Zak Brown believes Max Verstappen could have been champion in 2024, even driving McLaren’s MCL38, calling him a standout talent.
Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren F1, had said several months ago that Max Verstappen could only win with the best car. However, he has since revised his opinion after the 2024 season and is convinced that the Dutchman would have been champion driving a MCL38.
“That’s what Max has shown: a great driver, a great car,” Brown told Business of Sport. “I think when you see a great car, but not quite as great a driver, like Sergio [Pérez], who is a very good racing driver, has won Grand Prix, but is clearly not at Max’s level, you can see the difference.”
“If Max were in a car that couldn’t win, he would still get a bit more out of it because of his talent. But he’s not going to take a car that’s 15th and win with it. He could take a car that’s the third-fastest and win. But you need the car, and you also need the driver.”
The American is satisfied with McLaren’s philosophy of letting Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri compete against each other, rather than relying on a single driver to carry the team.
“It’s certainly not without challenges. But I’d rather have the challenges of two drivers fighting for a win than the challenges of one driver fighting for a win and the other fighting to make Q3. There are a lot of downsides to that.”
“We have two great drivers who have an excellent relationship: transparent and fair. So, I think we can manage their desire to fight each other because they are both team players. There will be moments, like this year, of great stress. But that’s the sport.”
Brown praised McLaren’s driver duo: “There are a lot of fast drivers in Formula 1, but ours are fantastic with our sponsors, they’re great with our fans. So, as I’ve said repeatedly, I think we have the best driver lineup in Formula 1.”
Despite the fact that drivers are often reluctant to follow team orders, Brown reminded that they are communicated well in advance of the weekend: “We don’t surprise them. We make a plan every day. On Thursday, we’re at the track and we talk about what we’re going to do on Friday and Saturday.”
“It’s good communication, good transparency. We count the points when they help each other, so we try to balance things out. But I think it’s just about being direct with them and letting them know what our goals are and how their goals fit into ours.”
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Brown: Verstappen Would Win in McLaren’s MCL38 Brown: Verstappen Would Win in McLaren’s MCL38
