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Brown Opens Up On Verstappen Joining McLaren F1 Team
Highlights
- Gianpiero Lambiase joins McLaren as Chief Racing Officer in 2028
- Max Verstappen praised Lambiase but McLaren not pursuing Verstappen
- Zak Brown satisfied with drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
- Brown named Leclerc, Hamilton, Antonelli, Russell as top driver contenders
- McLaren prioritizes team stability over driver roster changes currently
Zak Brown moves to quash Max Verstappen-to-McLaren talk after confirming Gianpiero Lambiase will join McLaren in 2028 as Chief Racing Officer.
Lambiase has engineered Verstappen since 2016 at Red Bull, a partnership underpinning multiple titles and prompting speculation the driver could follow him to Woking later.
Brown reiterates McLaren is not pursuing Verstappen and remains committed to Norris and Piastri.
Speaking at the Miami Grand Prix, Brown says McLaren is satisfied with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who hold multi-year deals and continue delivering on and off track.
He frames recent performance gains as a product of continuity and culture, arguing there is no reason to disrupt the driver pairing that anchors McLaren’s momentum.
Asked who tops any hypothetical shortlist, Brown acknowledges Verstappen’s level but cites Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Antonelli, and George Russell among current and emerging benchmarks.
Brown lists Leclerc, Hamilton, Antonelli, and Russell among elite alternatives if a seat unexpectedly opens.
Lambiase’s 2028 arrival signals a strategic investment in race operations leadership, separating driver speculation from a broader plan to strengthen decision-making, planning, and execution at the track.
Verstappen praises the partnership as rare in racing, underlining Lambiase’s value, yet that endorsement does not automatically foreshadow a future driver move.
Context matters: sweeping 2026 power-unit and aero changes will reset priorities, and a 2028 start gives McLaren time to stabilise, then optimise, processes under new technical realities.
Norris enters his eighth season, while Piastri joined in 2023 and progressed quickly. Their complementary styles and consistency underpin McLaren’s points-scoring baseline.
Verstappen joining McLaren is not on McLaren’s immediate agenda, Brown confirms.
Brown stresses F1’s volatility: circumstances shift quickly, so scenarios remain hypothetical. For now, maintaining harmony and extracting performance weekend-to-weekend take precedence.
The picture is clear: McLaren pursues depth, process, and leadership continuity, with Lambiase’s appointment reinforcing direction, rather than signalling a pursuit of headline driver moves.
Visual Summary
Norris
&
Piastri
&
Piastri
Driver Stability
Lambiase
Chief Racing Officer
(2028)
(2028)
Future-Focused
The Verstappen Question looms,
but remains just a shadow.
but remains just a shadow.
🔗
McLaren runs strong on
team chemistry & trust.
🧡
McLaren runs strong on
team chemistry & trust.
🧡
Verstappen
Red Bull
/
Leclerc
Hamilton
Antonelli
Russell
Hamilton
Antonelli
Russell
…other top F1 talents
McLaren’s path forward: stability, growth, and no sudden “blockbuster” moves—
just team confidence and smart evolution.
just team confidence and smart evolution.
James William covers the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, from the Rolex 24 at Daytona to sprint-race formats. His reports include prototype performance reviews, GT class battles, and pit-stop strategy insights for endurance-racing fans.
