CEO of McLaren Racing Zak Brown has expressed a new Red Bull viewpoint that is sure to cause a stir: he says that although Max Verstappen is one of the greatest drivers in Formula 1, his success is mostly due to the Red Bull equipment.

Although Verstappen first made it to the top of the Formula 1 rankings in 2021, he has found it much simpler to win titles since taking home his maiden World Championship during a thrilling season-long race with Lewis Hamilton.

Max Verstappen might not win the F1 2024 championship from Red Bull.

Verstappen won four of the first six grand prix in Formula One 2024, and he currently appears poised to make it four in a row. Verstappen broke records to win the titles in 2022 and 2023.

And Brown hasn’t been afraid to speak his mind about Red Bull lately, focusing on the unexpected departure of Adrian Newey, the team’s design leader, and projecting that Newey will be the “first domino to fall” in the wake of the team’s off-track turmoil. Verstappen is currently at the center of a contentious Brown proposal.

Brown doesn’t think Verstappen could win the championship if he weren’t driving the Red Bull, even if the American isn’t diminishing Verstappen in any way by highlighting his dominance over teammate Sergio Perez.

In response to the question of whether he would rather be a star designer or driver, Brown said, “Well, ultimately, you need both,” on the Beyond the Grid podcast.

“I don’t think you can win without a great driver, therefore you need both.

“First, the car is the starting point. People frequently ask me, ‘Is the driver or the car?'” And the response is, “Well, it’s both.”

“The way I see it, I believe there are six or seven Red Bull drivers on the grid that will win the world championship.

“Max is one of the greatest drivers ever, but even with that, I don’t think he wins the World Championship today in any other car but the Red Bull.

However, if you compare the two, you can see that Sergio Perez—a superb racer who has demonstrated that, on his best day, he can outrun Max—is significantly different.

As Formula 1 approaches and Max continues to perform so exceptionally, I believe you need both. However, take a look at what’s happening from P1, P2, P3, P4, and P5.

“Everything is shifting; one day we’re [McLaren] P2, the next P5. Because the automobiles are so close together, the driver will be crucial at that point. Therefore, in the end, you require both.

In F1 2024, is there anyone who can challenge Red Bull?

Verstappen recently accused Brown of trying to “stir things up” at Red Bull following his assessment of the Newey situation, even though the Dutchman is not fully guaranteeing his long-term Red Bull future at this time due to strong interest from Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff.

Verstappen probably won’t give this title claim from the McLaren CEO much thought, though, as he didn’t really pay heed to what Brown had to say about it.

Verstappen remarked, “He obviously wants to stir things up.” As a team, we are powerless in the face of remarks like those.

“From his perspective, I can understand it, of course, since everyone tries to draw in our people, and that’s also quite common in the Formula 1 business.

But those things also don’t truly interest me. Despite seeing the headlines, I choose not to click on them.

Verstappen will be hoping to get back on track as soon as possible in the upcoming Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, following McLaren’s Lando Norris’ unexpected triumph at the Miami Grand Prix.