McLaren made a surprise move for Verstappen, but the Red Bull star shut the door. Instead, the team secured Piastri for years.
McLaren made a bold move by reaching out to Max Verstappen, potentially shaking up the F1 driver market. But in the end, Zak Brown chose to stick with Oscar Piastri.
The McLaren CEO confirmed in Melbourne that he had called Verstappen “a while ago”—just to “explore the market.” Despite this intriguing approach, the team ultimately locked in Piastri for the long haul.
Verstappen, however, has made his stance clear: he’s not interested in a switch anytime soon, reaffirming his commitment to Red Bull, currently the most dominant team on the grid.
His father, Jos Verstappen, also acknowledged the contact with McLaren but dismissed any serious talks, saying it was “too early” for Max to consider a move—especially since the 2025 season hadn’t even started, nor had pre-season testing. According to reports, these discussions date back to early February.
For now, Verstappen isn’t going anywhere. But in F1, things can change fast…
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McLaren’s Bold Verstappen Move Ends in Piastri Deal McLaren’s Bold Verstappen Move Ends in Piastri Deal
