McLaren’s Zak Brown weighs in on the Sainz vs. Hamilton debate, offering rare insight into F1’s hottest driver dilemma of 2025.
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown recently stirred up the driver market conversation by admitting he’d struggle to choose between Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton—if he had the chance.
Carlos Sainz, once a McLaren driver, left for Ferrari in 2021. Since then, he’s impressed in red. But in a surprise 2025 shake-up, Sainz is moving to Williams after Ferrari chose to bring in seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
“If we had an open seat, we’d definitely consider Carlos again,” Brown told reporters at the Laureus Awards in Madrid.
“But right now, we’re locked in with Lando [Norris] and Oscar [Piastri] for the next few years.”
Still, Brown added with a grin, “If something changes, I’ve got Carlos’s number.”
Meanwhile at Ferrari, Hamilton is finding it tough to match Charles Leclerc—a challenge Sainz rarely faced. So was replacing Sainz with Hamilton the right move?
Brown didn’t want to judge too quickly.
“It’s not black and white. There’s a lot that goes into those decisions,” he said.
“Lewis is a legend. Having a seven-time world champion in your team is special. But Carlos was amazing for us—super talented, a great guy. I’m just glad I didn’t have to make that choice.”
Alonso Back in a McLaren? Maybe at Le Mans
Brown also dropped a teaser for endurance racing fans: he’d love to bring back another McLaren veteran—Fernando Alonso—for their future Le Mans program.
“Fernando’s one of the greatest. We’ve worked with him, we know how good he is,” said Brown.
“As his F1 career nears its end, and with McLaren set to return to Le Mans in 2027—a race he’s already won—it would be amazing to see him back with us.”
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Sainz or Hamilton? Who Would Zak Brown Choose? Sainz or Hamilton? Who Would Zak Brown Choose?
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