Zak Brown calls Max Verstappen’s move to Mercedes 'scary'

McLaren CEO Zak Brown called Max Verstappen’s move from Red Bull to Mercedes 'scary' amid speculation that the four-time champion could switch teams after tensions with his current team.

During last weekend's Austrian Grand Prix, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff expressed his interest in signing Verstappen and has now confirmed he is in talks over trying to sign the Dutch driver from Red Bull.

Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028, but he is not happy with the performance-related break clauses, and that could lead to an early exit if he is not in the top three positions of the championship by the summer break.

Brown, whose McLaren team is currently flying under the current ruleset, admits Mercedes team with Verstappen could challenge them.

"That's a bit scary," Brown said. 

"I think Mercedes is clearly on a forward trajectory, Red Bull clearly is not at the moment, and Max is an unbelievable talent.

"So Max in a Mercedes -- that's some pretty serious competition."

Mercedes could be a perfect destination for Verstappen as it appears to be well-placed to make a strong start under Formula 1's new regulations in 2026.

Meanwhile, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are performing well and have signed long-term contracts with McLaren, and Brown confirmed he has no intention to talk to Verstappen, even if he becomes available.

"No, I couldn't be happier with our driver lineup," Brown added. 

"I've said it from day one that I think we have the best driver lineup in Formula 1 -- I think sitting here right now it would be difficult to argue that factually it's statistically true.

"And because of the characters they are the talent they are on the track off the track I wouldn't trade our two drivers for any other drivers on the grid."