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McLaren CEO Zak Brown has refused to rule out signing Max Verstappen in the future<\/strong>, despite the Dutchman recently extending his Red Bull contract until the end of the 2030 Formula 1 season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking in an exclusive interview with Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf<\/em>, Brown said McLaren\u2019s door remained \u201cwide open\u201d<\/strong> to Verstappen\u2014not necessarily for the immediate future, but potentially for \u201c2028, 2029 or whatever year\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The American also revealed that he spoke with Verstappen several times during the summer. Brown stressed that the conversations were intended to help him understand the driver away from the intense rivalry surrounding Red Bull and McLaren.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI spoke with him several times over the summer, simply because I wanted to get to know him better,\u201d Brown told De Telegraaf<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the McLaren chief, those meetings reinforced a more positive personal impression of Verstappen. Brown described the champion as charming and suggested that the confrontational figure sometimes presented publicly does not fully reflect his personality away from the paddock spotlight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The comments represent a noticeable change in tone. Earlier in 2026, Brown said a Verstappen move was unlikely unless Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri \u201cslipped on a banana peel\u201d<\/strong>, emphasising McLaren\u2019s satisfaction with its existing line-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That situation has not changed. Norris and Piastri remain central to McLaren\u2019s long-term plans<\/strong>, while Verstappen has committed his future to Red Bull through 2030. Brown\u2019s remarks therefore indicate openness rather than an active attempt to sign him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is nevertheless an intriguing connection between the two camps. Verstappen\u2019s long-time race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase is expected to join McLaren after completing his Red Bull commitments in 2028<\/strong>. That move has inevitably encouraged speculation, although there is no evidence that Lambiase\u2019s recruitment forms part of a plan to attract Verstappen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key distinction is important: McLaren has not confirmed negotiations over a race seat<\/strong>, and Verstappen is not currently available. Brown is simply ensuring that one of Formula 1\u2019s strongest teams does not publicly close the door on the grid\u2019s most valuable driver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For now, the prospect remains distant. But Brown\u2019s message is clear: if Verstappen ever decides that his Red Bull chapter is over, McLaren wants to be part of the conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n GRANDE PR\u00caMIO<\/strong> follows every session of the Azerbaijan GP LIVE and in REAL TIME<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kimi Antonelli leads with 302 points. George Russell is second on 236, leaving a 66-point gap after Baku. www.formula1.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nF1 today: FAQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Who leads the 2026 F1 championship after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Who won the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n