In an interview, McLaren team boss Zac Brown last made a look forward. He assumes that Max Verstappen will switch to Mercedes in Formula 1 after the current season. On the sidelines of the Grand Prix of China, Red Bull’s motorsport consultant Helmut Marko was confronted with this thesis.
“But the situation is not yet as black as Zac would like to see,” said the Austrian before the sprint qualifying on Friday when he was asked by “Sky” to the English statements: “Max would like to have a car with. If we cannot put it on him, it will be difficult [ihn zu halten]. “
“Of course there are also performance clauses. But it is only the second race, in Melbourne we have reached second place in Melbourne,” added the 81-year-old, who, according to his own statement, is not worried about losing the Dutch world champion to the direct competition in Formula 1 in the foreseeable future.
Formula 1: changes Verstappen to Mercedes?
McLaren-Teamboss Brown had recently caused a stir with a pointed thesis about the future of the four-fold F1 champion. He said to the British “Telegraph” about Verstappen shortly before the first race in Australia: “I think he will go at the end of the year.” And “most likely to Mercedes”.
“There were also rumors about Aston Martin, where Adrian Newey gets in. But as great as Adrian is – and it is the biggest ever – you need a whole team around you. You need the culture. It takes time,” continued Brown. So his hot tip are the silver arrows. “If I betted, I would rely on Mercedes.”
Is he serious or does someone want to ignite a little bit with the opponent? The Treaty of World Champion Verstappen runs until 2028. But it is also clear that the Dutchman was under pressure for the first time last season, the RB dominance was noticeable.