Max Verstappen To McLaren? CEO Says Door 'Wide Open' For Dutchman To Join In 2028

News sports formula-one Max Verstappen To McLaren? CEO Says Door 'Wide Open' For Dutchman To Join In 2028

Last Updated:September 25, 2026, 13:43 IST

McLaren CEO Zak Brown reveals exploratory chats with Max Verstappen, saying the door is 'wide open' for him to join the team in 2028, despite his Red Bull contract until 2030.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has left the door ‘wide open’ for Max Verstappen to join the team in the future despite the four-time Formula 1 world champion recently signing a fresh contract with Red Bull Racing until 2030.

Brown revealed that he held several conversations with Verstappen last summer, primarily to get to know the Dutchman better. While those talks did not result in a move, they left the McLaren boss with a stronger impression of the Red Bull driver.

“The door is still wide open for Max. For 2028, 2029, or whatever year," Brown told De Telegraaf, making it clear that Verstappen remains a potential target for the future.

Brown also suggested McLaren didn’t see his new contract as a hindrance to exploring a partnership if circumstances change.

The McLaren chief admitted that his view of Verstappen changed significantly after their conversations.

“If I had to use one word to describe him now, it would be a word that wouldn’t have occurred to me before those conversations. Namely: charming," Brown said. “… I feel like: I can really go racing with this guy. Because I hate racing against him," Brown said.

Big Fernando Alonso comparison

Brown was particularly impressed by Verstappen’s approach to racing away from the F1 spotlight. He pointed to the Dutchman’s involvement in GT3 racing and his technical understanding as qualities that remind him of Fernando Alonso.

“His focus and the way he looks at motorsport from a driver’s perspective I found very impressive. You can see it in how involved Max is with the GT3 program and how technically proficient he is. Fernando had that too," Brown said.

Alonso had two distinct and turbulent stints with McLaren in Formula 1: a solitary year in 2007 when he arrived as a double-World Champion to finish third after months of infighting with Lewis Hamilton and controversies, and a difficult four-year rebuilding phase from 2015 to 2018.

The McLaren boss recalled Alonso’s preparations for the Indy 500 as another example of the level of detail he values in a driver. Brown said Alonso once spent an entire flight watching onboard footage from all 200 laps of a previous Indy 500, highlighting how thoroughly the Spaniard prepared for competition.

“That must be the most boring thing there is. But Fernando didn’t want to leave anything to chance," Brown recalled.

Bad sign for Piastri?

While reports of McLaren being in contact with Verstappen have been ongoing for a while, Brown’s comments are interesting to say the least. Defending champion Lando Norris is contracted with McLaren until the end of 2030 after a fresh renewal, while Oscar Piastri’s contract ends at the end of 2028.

While the Englishman and the Aussie were in neck-and-neck competition last year, Norris has emerged as a clearer number one this season, having managed two wins compared to Piastri’s none.

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