Zak Brown claims Red Bull and Christian Horner are “scared” of Max Verstappen and encourage his aggressive driving style
McLaren CEO Zak Brown has launched a scathing attack on Red Bull Racing and its team principal Christian Horner, accusing them of being “scared” of Max Verstappen.
This latest outburst is part of an ongoing feud between the two teams, which has been fueled by a series of incidents and alleged unsportsmanlike behavior from Verstappen.
This comes after Verstappen and Lando Norris collided during the Austrian Grand Prix which left both drivers with punctures, ending their chances of winning the race. While the Dutchman managed to finish fifth, the Brit was forced to retire due to the damage sustained to his car.
Brown has been highly critical of Verstappen’s actions, stating that he did not openly apologize for his actions during the race and this lack of contrition has further inflamed the situation. The team boss also expressed his frustration towards Horner, who blamed Norris for the collision over team radio, saying that he “didn’t behave correctly.”
In an interview with The Independent, Brown accused Red Bull of encouraging Verstappen to drive aggressively and without regard for the rules.
“It seems to be that Red Bull are scared of Max,” the McLaren boss said. “We’re very honest with our drivers.
“If nobody tells him that what he did wasn’t within the regulations, why should he think otherwise?”
Brown also criticized Horner for his comments, saying that it was inappropriate for him to blame Norris without acknowledging Verstappen’s role in the incident.
“To have Christian come on the radio and actually squarely point the problem at Lando – who are you kidding? Everyone has seen it,” he added.
“The regulations are very clear – you’ve got to leave a car’s width. He didn’t. Why did he have to say anything? It just felt wholly inappropriate.”
McLaren has long maintained that Red Bull and Horner have a “win-at-all-costs mentality,” which they believe is detrimental to the sport.
Brown has been vocal about his concerns, stating that F1 teams have a responsibility to guide their drivers on what is right and wrong. He believes that Red Bull’s approach is not in line with McLaren’s values, which emphasize fair and respectful racing.
Horner has largely ignored Brown’s criticisms, choosing not to engage with the McLaren boss.
“I only respond to things when I think they’re not right,” the Red Bull boss said when asked about Brown’s comments.
“I speak up on issues. It just seems I have more issues with him [Christian], more than others, because he says and does stuff I think is wrong.
“It’s less about getting under each other’s skin and fighting because we were not competing with them during the cost-cap [episode]. I just felt the integrity of the cost cap was critical for the success of Formula 1 and if it wasn’t taken seriously, the sport would be damaged forever.
“I was trying to protect the integrity of the sport and they didn’t take it seriously. That’s why I spoke up.”
The latest exchange is part of an ongoing feud between McLaren and Red Bull dating back to the 2022 budget cap scandal, where McLaren accused Red Bull of cheating. Brown has been particularly critical of Horner, whom he believes says and does things wrong.
