Max Verstappen and McLaren boss Zak Brown have been trading playful jabs lately, showing there’s room for fun even at the top of Formula 1.
After clinching his fourth straight world title in Las Vegas, Verstappen couldn’t resist poking fun at Brown. The Dutch champion claimed he won in a car that wasn’t even the fastest on the grid.
Brown’s taking it all in stride.
“Max has a great sense of humor,” Brown told De Telegraaf. “It’s just racing banter – though some people seem to miss that part.”
The friendly rivalry has an interesting backstory. Earlier this season at the British Grand Prix, Verstappen responded to a question about Brown’s comments on Red Bull with a cheeky “Who is Zak Brown?”
Brown’s response? He sent Verstappen a text introducing himself.
“We finally met face-to-face in Monza,” Brown explained. “I shook his hand and told him he now had a face to match the name.”
The McLaren boss isn’t bothered by any of the back-and-forth. “Are you kidding? I love it! Max is a smart guy – he knows how this game works. Most of the drama isn’t really aimed at him anyway, it’s about Red Bull.”
It’s been a tense season between McLaren and Red Bull off the track, with both teams taking shots at each other throughout the year.
But there’s still serious racing business at hand. McLaren’s holding a 21-point lead over Ferrari heading into the final race in Abu Dhabi, with third place in the constructor’s championship on the line.
The real question now is whether this newfound friendly banter between Brown and Verstappen will continue into next season – especially if McLaren keeps closing the gap to Red Bull on the track.
