Zak Brown has dismissed any notion of McLaren pursuing Max Verstappen in the near future, despite the team’s high-profile signing of the Dutchman’s longtime race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase for a 2028 arrival.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 at the Miami Grand Prix, the McLaren CEO was asked whether Lambiase’s impending move could eventually open the door for Verstappen to follow his trusted engineer to the papaya squad. Brown’s response left little room for interpretation.
I couldn’t be happier with our driver line-up. Lando [Norris] and Oscar [Piastri] are not only two awesome guys, on the track, off the track, but as team mates, which is so much I think what’s made McLaren successful here – [it’s] the chemistry that we have in the garage, at the factory, with our pit wall, all throughout the racing team.
He added: “I couldn’t be happier with what we have, and zero intention in changing.”
Lambiase to Join McLaren as Chief Racing Officer
The question stems from McLaren’s recent announcement that Lambiase – known widely as GP – will leave Red Bull to become the team’s Chief Racing Officer when his current contract expires in 2028. Lambiase has been Verstappen’s race engineer since the four-time world champion stepped up to Red Bull in 2016, a partnership spanning a decade of on-track success and radio exchanges that have become iconic in their own right.
Verstappen himself has voiced support for the move, stating he is “very happy” for Lambiase and praising the chemistry they developed as “very rare in racing”. Lambiase currently also serves as Red Bull’s Head of Racing.
Brown’s Diplomatic Take on Verstappen’s Talent
Pressed on whether Verstappen would top McLaren’s wish list should a driver vacancy arise, Brown offered a more measured response that acknowledged the Dutchman’s obvious talent without committing to anything concrete.
He’s an awesome racing driver, so if a gap opened up that’s a different conversation, of course. When you see the talent that he has, yeah, and if you were looking for a racing driver, I think there are a lot of great racing drivers out there. Charles Leclerc’s doing an amazing job, it’s great to see Lewis [Hamilton] back on form. Kimi [Antonelli]’s doing a great job, George [Russell] is a great driver, but look at what Kimi is doing here.
Brown went further, pointing to the strength of the current field: “I almost kind of feel like he’s the championship favourite, sitting here at the moment, but we see how quickly things swing in this sport. But yeah, I’m happy with what I’ve got, so I hope I’m not looking for a driver.”
The McLaren boss appeared to reference Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s recent form – the Mercedes driver has emerged as an early title contender in his sophomore season.
Norris and Piastri Locked In
Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri hold multi-year contracts with McLaren. Norris is now in his eighth season with the team, while Piastri joined for his rookie campaign in 2023 and has since established himself as a race winner and consistent podium finisher.
Brown’s comments suggest McLaren’s focus remains firmly on maximising the potential of its current lineup rather than entertaining speculation about future moves for star drivers from rival teams. With Lambiase not set to arrive until 2028, any hypothetical driver shuffle remains years away – and for now, Brown appears intent on keeping it that way.
McLaren next races at the Monaco Grand Prix on May 24-25, where Norris and Piastri will look to extend the team’s strong early-season form.