Is Max Verstappen back in the race for the title? The Dutchman has won the last two Grands Prix in a row, while championship leader McLaren had its worst race weekend of the year during the last outing in Baku. CEO Zak Brown is on guard against the threat of Verstappen – with seven races to go, Max’s new title is still far away, but as far as Brown is concerned, he can’t be eliminated soon enough.
McLaren, which seemed so elusive to the competition this year, was long heading for both world titles. Drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri only had to endure resistance from each other. During the last two Grands Prix in Italy and Azerbaijan, it was a different story. Verstappen won both races with a comfortable lead. In Baku, he also scored his sixth Grand Slam. McLaren, on the other hand, crashed at the Baku City Circuit; instead of securing the earliest constructor’s title ever, Piastri crashed in the opening round and Norris finished in a mediocre seventh place.
Therefore, Verstappen is again mentioned as a contender for the title. The gap to Piastri is 69 points, but anything can happen in the next seven races. “I think you should keep a close eye on Verstappen,” McLaren CEO Zak Brown told Bloomberg. “We need to continue what we’re doing. In terms of the constructors, it looks very good. We had the chance to wrap it up in Baku, but let’s not dwell on that too much,” he joked. “Hopefully, we can get the job done in Singapore.”
‘May the Best One Win’
McLaren has faced a lot of criticism in recent weeks for their approach to the championship. However, Brown remains steadfast in his actions, although he wants to eliminate Verstappen from the title race as soon as possible. “What we want is for our drivers and Max – although we actually want to rule him out – to fight for the championship on equal terms,” the American explained further. “May the best one win; that’s what we’re striving for. If possible, we don’t want to stand in the way as a team.”
“Of course, unexpected things can happen,” Brown admitted. “For instance, Lando (Norris) had a mechanical defect in Zandvoort, and we always have to take into account safety cars and such. But our goal remains to prepare Lando and Oscar (Piastri) for a title fight that – if necessary – will only be decided in Abu Dhabi. May the best one win,” he concluded emphatically.
