Insisting he has a “good” relationship with Max Verstappen, McLaren boss Zak Brown hit out at how that is portrayed, while Verstappen knows “how the game is played” with Red Bull the target. After two dominant runs to title doubles for Verstappen and Red Bull,

Brown echoed Marko's sentiment, predicting that 2025 will present Red Bull with significant hurdles. "Red Bull has lost a lot of important people and I don't think we've seen the full consequences of that yet," Brown commented. "It's a good team, but you also have to look at the culture and the atmosphere."

Brown spoke with TIME about this chase for the F1 title, the keys to his sport’s continued growth in the U.S., and his biggest mistake.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has stated that Red Bull Racing won't go into 2025 or 2026 as the favourites for either Formula 1 championship due to behind the scenes issues at the team.