Zak Brown says Oscar Piastri can beat Max Verstappen ‘straight-up’ as he addresses McLaren rumours

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Zak Brown has claimed that Oscar Piastri has shown that he can beat Max Verstappen ‘straight-up’ amid rumours linking the pair with a stunning swap deal.

Over the last few months, Verstappen’s future has been a major talking point in the world of Formula 1.

Earlier in the season, it was reported that Verstappen was thinking about retiring from F1 due to the sport’s brand new regulations.

While retirement is not fully out of the question, all things point towards the Dutchman staying put in the sport.

However, the attention has now shifted to whether Verstappen will continue at Red Bull amid the team’s struggles in 2026.

Last week, it was claimed that McLaren and Verstappen held talks over a potential transfer that could see Piastri moving to the Milton Keynes-based outfit.

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

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Zak Brown would sign Max Verstappen ‘in a heartbeat’ if he had a third car at McLaren

Speaking recently on the Up To Speed podcast, McLaren CEO Brown was quick to express his happiness over his current driver line-up. 

The American stated that he would sign Verstappen ‘in a heartbeat’ if he had a third seat available.

He then went on to state that both Piastri and Lando Norris have shown that they can beat Verstappen ‘straight-up’.

Brown explained: “Well, I’ve got two awesome racing drivers, so if I had a third car, I would sign him in a heartbeat.

“But I don’t have a third car so I couldn’t be happier with Lando and Oscar. We won 14 races last year, two drivers that came down to the last race of the year with the chance to win the championship.

“They get along great; they set a great tone in the garage. So, I’m not making any driver changes; if you ever were, I think I said at the weekend, if someone slips on a banana peel.

“Max is an awesome talent, but I think Lando and Oscar have both demonstrated they can beat him straight up.”

READ MORE: Fineprint detail in Max Verstappen’s contract could now cause trouble for Red Bull

In 2026, Verstappen has endured a tough season, having only scored 73 points from the opening eight rounds, putting him seventh in the world championship standings, six points behind sixth-placed Charles Leclerc.

However, during last weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, things looked much better for the four-time world champion as he managed to finish second, with George Russell winning the race.

This weekend, Verstappen will be looking to build on his momentum and search for his first win of the season at the British Grand Prix, which will take place around the iconic Silverstone Circuit.