Zak Brown has played the ultimate trump card to end Max Verstappen’s 2025 title hopes, it won’t work

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Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are still in danger of being usurped by Max Verstappen in the 2025 F1 title fight, and McLaren CEO Zak Brown is trying to take matters into his own hands with some explosive comments about the Red Bull star.

Lando Norris has taken charge of the drivers’ championship in previous rounds, and has shifted the momentum back into his own favour after Max Verstappen’s resurgence in the championship battle.

Verstappen sits just 25 points behind Oscar Piastri after finding himself 104 points behind the Australian after the first race back from the summer break in Zandvoort.

However, thanks to dominant performances in Mexico City and Sao Paulo, Norris has leapfrogged his long-time leading teammate to take a 24-point lead over Piastri and a 49-point advantage over Verstappen.

The possibility of the Dutchman ending the season in the top spot of the F1 standings is slim, but not impossible, and Zak Brown is trying to end that once and for all with his latest comments regarding the four-time world champion.

READ MORE: Zak Brown just gave Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri the perfect advice to deal with Max Verstappen

Zak Brown is trying to get inside Max Verstappen’s head with his verdict on Lewis Hamilton’s F1 title tally

During a recent interview with The Telegraph, Brown was asked a multitude of questions regarding his rivalry with former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, as well as the threat that Verstappen poses to McLaren’s chances of securing the drivers’ title this season.

One of the questions that the McLaren CEO was asked was, “Can Lewis Hamilton become a record-breaking eight-time F1 champion?”

To which Brown answered, “He should already be.”

The verdict is sure to infuriate Verstappen, who previously boycotted Sky’s Ted Kravitz after the pit lane reporter suggested that Hamilton was ‘robbed’ of the title during the highly controversial 2021 season finale in Abu Dhabi.

The timing of Brown’s comments suggests that the American executive is attempting to get inside the head of the four-time world champion during a crucial period in the championship battle, but the attempts very well could be in vain.

Verstappen is no stranger to mind games during a title fight, having attempted to destabilise McLaren with his comments regarding the dynamic of their drivers just a few rounds ago in Austin.

With the championship-winning experience that Verstappen brings to the table, it’s no wonder that the McLaren CEO is trying every available tactic at his disposal to try and give his own drivers the edge.

However, in the case of the 28-year-old’s mental fortitude, Brown will be lucky to make a dent in Verstappen’s armour with his latest comments.

READ MORE: Zak Brown reveals what he’ll say to Max Verstappen if Red Bull star snatches 2025 title from McLaren

Zak Brown also recalled when Max Verstappen ‘crossed the line’ during his title fight with Lewis Hamilton

In his interview with The Telegraph, Brown issued a damning verdict on Verstappen’s on-track persona. Asked if Red Bull ‘race dirty’, he replied, “I don’t want to disparage Max…. He’s a four-time world champion,” before adding, “He can be a bruiser, too aggressive on track. His arrogance comes out.”

Brown added some consolation to his comments, noting, “If you look at some of the greatest champions in Formula One, they’ve had some arrogance about them. They get their elbows out.”

He then pinpointed a time that Verstappen had ‘crossed the line’ during race weekends, recalling his intense spat with Hamilton during 2021, with, “In Brazil against Lewis Hamilton over time. A handful of his passes on Lewis were overly aggressive.”

The comments about Verstappen so close to the conclusion of the season could come back to bite Brown if the Dutchman is successful in his attempts to become a five-time world champion.

After winning his fourth championship last year, Verstappen recalled Brown’s comments about Red Bull during Norris’ emergence as a title contender, which gave him some extra satisfaction as he etched his name into the history books again.

There’s no doubt that the comments won’t have the intended effect on the 28-year-old, and could even add fuel to the flames as he continues to circle the McLaren drivers in the final three rounds of the season.