McLaren Boss Snubs Lando Norris to Pick Max Verstappen as dream teammate

Max Verstappen is all the buzz in Formula 1 at the moment as he maximizes results despite racing in an inferior challenger of Red Bull. The Dutchman has maintained his P3 spot in the driver’s standings, courtesy of his dominant pace. Meanwhile, McLaren has emerged as the favorite to win both titles as they run off in the distance in terms of points. However, Zak Brown isn’t too convinced about being teammates with Lando Norris if he were racing, as he prioritized Verstappen over the former.

Max Verstappen is a core motorsport fan through and through. Verstappen has often missed F1 events apart from racing, as he prefers to focus on sim racing and trying his hand at other categories. The Dutchman had recently tested the GT3 cars at the Nordschleife and reportedly broke the previous world records. Moreover, the Red Bull ace has tested multiple other categories, and potentially even wants to join GT3 after retiring from Formula 1.

On the other hand, Lando Norris has now found success within Formula 1. The Briton is maximizing results this year, courtesy of McLaren’s extremely dominant challenger. However, arguably, Norris isn’t as competitive or spread out in terms of racing interests as Max Verstappen. Moreover, Verstappen, making his mark in multiple other motorsports, has caused Zak Brown to prefer him over the McLaren driver.

Zak Brown made a shocking statement in his preference for teammates in other motorsport categories, not specific to Formula 1. Brown highlighted that he would prefer Max Verstappen in long-distance motorsports, not Lando Norris. The Englishman recalled Verstappen and his test at the Nordschleife under the pseudonym Franz Hermann, noting that he was already accustomed to racing in categories apart from F1, which made him all the better than his rivals.

Well, I would prefer Max as my teammate in long-distance racing. Because he recently showed on the Nordschleife under an pseudonym how quickly he is there too.

Zak Brown told De Telegraaf

Zak Brown leaves door open for Max Verstappen

Following his performances in the 2025 season, Max Verstappen has garnered praise and applause from all over the paddock. Even Zak Brown, who has said some colorful things about Verstappen in the past, doesn’t deny this. Brown further explained his reasoning behind selecting the reigning world champion over Lando Norris and even Oscar Piastri, despite the two being impressive this year.