Red Bull? Mercedes? Aston Martin? Those are reportedly the options Max Verstappen has for 2026. But McLaren CEO Zak Brown says the four-time world champion should stay with Red Bull.
Who will win F1 2026?
Brown believes Mercedes could surprise everyone with its powertrain technology, as they did in 2014. The year 2026 marks the biggest reset in Formula 1 history. The sport will introduce new cars – smaller and lighter – that will also use improved powertrain technology.
The question only arises: who will emerge victorious?
The last time the engines underwent major changes, Mercedes dominated from 2014 to 2020, while Red Bull was the best after the last aerodynamic change, from 2021 to 2024.
In 2026, both changes will occur – the cars will be smaller, lighter and more agile, and the power unit will have a 50/50 power split between internal combustion and electric power.
Considering that, from what he has heard, Mercedes is happy with his results on the test bench, Brown would rather Verstappen stay at Red Bull than move to Mercedes.
“If you ask me now and if I look at the current situation, I would rather see Max driving for Red Bull than for Mercedes,” Brown told De Telegraaf.
“There’s a lot of talk about the cars for next year, but no one can say for sure who is in the best position. What I can say is that I have an incredible amount of confidence in Mercedes. When I look at their performance so far as an engine supplier and the body language of their people.”
“Lately, many have been asking for engine rules to be changed. If you think you are competitive, you don’t want to change anything. I see with Mercedes that they seem very confident.”
“Just like we are now with the rule changes that will soon come into effect in Barcelona. But that doesn’t mean we are relaxing.”
“Am I surprised that Red Bull has regressed? No, I’m not. When you lose people like Adrian Newey, Rob Marshall, Jonathan Wheatley and probably a few others, it’s not a surprise. And from what I’ve read, Red Bull pretty much claim they won’t even feel them.”
“But it looks like it will. Rob Marshall is now working for us as our lead designer and he’s a very smart engineer. I can see what he’s brought to our team. He’s doing a fantastic job.”
