The head of McLaren was eager to highlight the uncertainties about Verstappen’s future.
Although Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull through the end of 2028, some have speculated that he may leave before then.
Brown thinks the team is weakened as a result of everything that has lately occurred behind the scenes at Red Bull, especially with the departure of Adrian Newey.
“The entire Verstappen drama is yours. Does he intend to stay or go? Brown continued, “Max has a contract; his father is really vocal.
“Red Bull is an excellent racing team, but they are unstable. That is evident from Newey’s departure. But you can never take them away.
“Although they are still a fantastic squad, my analysis suggests that they are not as good as they once were. Right now, Ferrari and McLaren seem to have the best visibility and momentum paths. However, things can change quickly, so we need to remain grounded.”
CEO of McLaren Zak Brown has called the present atmosphere at Red Bull “quite toxic,” and he thinks the company’s recent problems are far from finished.
Red Bull has had a difficult start to 2024 both on and off the racetrack, despite winning both titles.
They have witnessed Ferrari and McLaren considerably cut into their lead on the track; both of the trailing teams have won this season.
Away from the racetrack, the Milton Keynes-based team has had to contend with Adrian Newey’s departure from the team and the team’s inquiry of Christian Horner, the team principal, for allegedly inappropriate behavior, for which he was found not guilty.
In a recent interview with Bloomberg’s Hot Pursuit podcast, Brown talked about Red Bull’s problems and expressed his opinion that they haven’t been resolved yet.
“The environment at Red Bull is pretty toxic right now,” Brown stated. “There will be more.
“I believe that many people at Red Bull began working with Newey, therefore his leaving is significant. As I said earlier, resumes were being circulated.
That is a common occurrence, although there is noticeable discomfort. Additionally, I believe that dealing with sponsors will become more challenging in the future since they will closely scrutinize the associations they have. It’s a challenging circumstance.”
