Andrea Stella and Zak Brown keep saying the same thing about Max Verstappen to McLaren talk

Follow us on Google Discover

Andrea Stella and Zak Brown have given the exact same answer when asked about McLaren’s rumoured interest in Max Verstappen.

Speculation about the four-time champion’s future took over the Austrian GP paddock, as it emerged that Verstappen’s camp initiated talks with McLaren. He is free to leave Red Bull in 2026, and his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, is joining the Woking outfit in 2028.

Naturally, McLaren would have to vacate one of their seats to bring in Verstappen. Oscar Piastri has been heavily linked with Red Bull amid rumours of friction between the Aussie and McLaren in the aftermath of last year’s title fight.

Where would Max Verstappen and Lando Norris rank among McLaren’s greatest line-ups?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Andrea Stella and Zak Brown would sign Max Verstappen if McLaren were allowed a third car

Piastri and Lando Norris both have long-term contracts with McLaren, and the team have repeatedly stressed that they are happy with their line-up.

CEO Brown and team principal Stella have been bombarded by questions about the links to Verstappen, and they both had the same response.

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Brown would sign Verstappen if McLaren were allowed three cars, emphasising that the team have no intentions of letting Norris or Piastri go. Stella echoed the sentiments as he spoke to Corriere dello Sport.

Asked about McLaren’s interest in Verstappen and what he would say to the Red Bull driver, Stella replied: “To wait until the FIA introduces a third car. That’s not fair.

“If a four-time world champion really did come knocking, we’d take it as a sign of credibility and appeal, just as we did with Gianpiero. But not now that we have Norris and Piastri; we’re happy with this line-up.”

If you had an F1 team with three cars, which three drivers would you sign?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Asked if it is better to develop world champions in-house, he added: “Absolutely. Lando and Oscar have only raced in F1 with our team.

“We’ve had the chance to grow together, especially with Lando, and to find in Oscar a driver who fits naturally into our racing culture. We believe in this model, in which two of our top prospects are Italian: Leonardo Fornaroli and Matteo De Palo.”