Zak Brown gives hope to Max Verstappen: “We risk a new 2007, but that’s how McLaren wants to race”. McLaren CEO Zak Brown reflects on the lessons of 2007.

Max back in the championship fight

After scoring maximum points in Austin with 33 from the Sprint and Sunday race, and aided by Oscar Piastri’s difficult weekend, Max Verstappen has reignited his world championship hopes. He is now just 40 points behind the lead with five Grands Prix and two Sprint races remaining in the season.

The Dutch driver is starting to believe again and did not hide his optimism after the race: “Yes, there is a chance to win the championship.”

It’s no secret that both Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris have shown signs of nerves between Singapore—with their early contact—and Austin, where they collided in the Sprint, eliminating both from Saturday’s race.

Brown and the ghosts of 2007

McLaren CEO Zak Brown commented: “In 2007 we had two drivers equal on points, and Kimi [Raikkonen] beat them by a very small margin. But that is how McLaren wants to race. We want to have two drivers capable of winning the championship. On the other hand, when you race with a first and second driver, the constructors’ championship can sometimes be compromised. In our current situation, we will give both drivers the chance to compete for the drivers’ championship, even if it involves risks like in 2007. But we are all aware of it and prepared,” Brown told the Daily Mail.

The reference is obviously to the 2007 championship, where the internal rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso opened the door for Kimi Raikkonen’s incredible comeback, ultimately delivering Ferrari its last drivers’ title. Five races from the season’s end, Raikkonen was fourth in the championship, one point behind Felipe Massa, 11 behind Alonso, and 16 behind Hamilton, at a time when a win was worth only 10 points.