After a resounding rejection, McLaren boss still open to have Max Verstappen at the team

McLaren boss Zak Brown made an interesting comment, expressing that he would be more than happy to have Max Verstappen on the team. The driver market is at a very rigid state right now, with not too many drivers having an out clause, as many have just switched teams.

From 2024 to 2025, every team except McLaren and Aston Martin changed their driver lineup. The Woking-based squad also extended Oscar Piastri's contract early in the year, but before the Australian was given an extension, Zak Brown had inquired about Max Verstappen's availability only to face a sound rejection from the Dutchman, as he later revealed.

McLaren looks set to win both championships this season, and by the looks of it, the 2026 F1 season is going to be a competitive one for them as well, as Mercedes is expected to have a strong power unit.

Despite all of this, Zak Brown is still quite keen to sign Max Verstappen to the team. In the press conference where McLaren announced its partnership with Mastercard, Brown praised Max Verstappen and kept the door open for a possible union. He said,

"Well, I would prefer to have Max as my teammate in endurance racing. Because he's recently shown his speed there too on the Nordschleife under a pseudonym. Max is an amazing driver, not for nothing a four-time champion. For me, it's a pleasure to work with all the drivers within the McLaren program. And with Max? Who knows, maybe someday."

Bernie feels Max Verstappen moving to Ferrari kills his career

Bernie Ecclestone also opined on what he thought Max Verstappen should do. The former F1 boss did, however, caution that the Dutchman stay away from Ferrari.

The Italian team has been a graveyard for elite talent lately, with drivers like Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel, and now the duo of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton has a painful experience. With Verstappen's stint at Red Bull possibly coming to an end, Ecclestone hoped the Dutch driver wouldn't make the move to Maranello. As quoted by GPBlog, he said,

"If he goes to Ferrari, that would be the end of his career. Let's hope that doesn't happen. He can always turn a good team into a winning team."

For now, Verstappen's immediate future is sealed as he's going to stay at Red Bull, even though beyond 2026 is something that is still up in the air.