Max Verstappen draws praise from McLaren's Zak Brown as call for permanent stewards intensify

Max Verstappen received praise from McLaren CEO Zak Brown as he lauded the Dutchman's knowledge of FIA rules. However, Brown was critical of the FIA as he demanded full-time stewards to avoid confusion and attain more clarity on penalty decisions.

The 2024 F1 season pitted Red Bull against McLaren as the race to the championship intensified in the second half. Verstappen went head to head with Lando Norris as their battle concluded with the Dutch driver being crowned as four-time champion.

However, the duo had several heated on-track moments, which resulted in penalties. Verstappen's dual time penalties in Mexico further raised debate over inconsistencies in stewardship.

Meanwhile, McLaren CEO Zak Brown has joined the debate to call for changes in the FIA rule book. Speaking to James Allen on the latest episode of the F1 podcast, Brown praised Max Verstappen and said (via Planet F1):

“I think the rule book is too prescriptive. This whole you know whoever’s at the apex first, but then they didn’t think it through. What if you actually can’t make the corner? I think Max has done a great job of absolutely understanding what the rules say."

He added:

"So I’d like us to take a step back, loosen it up, full time stewards, those that have raced who can make a little bit more of a subjective decision of whether that was right or wrong. I think if we have too many rules, no one’s actually sure what the rules are. So we just need to go back to kind of what worked in the good old days.”

FIA recently fired steward Johnny Herbert over his dual role in the governing body and media. He faced backlash for criticizing Verstappen's aggressive driving on camera. Moreover, with Herbert on the panel, the Dutchman received many penalties last year which further added to the alleged theory of personal enmity.

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Max Verstappen 'back at work' with Red Bull ahead of 2025 season

Max Verstappen [R] with his race engineer [L] (Image Source: Getty)

After a months-long holiday season, Max Verstappen is back with Red Bull to prepare for the 2025 F1 season. During the winter break, the Dutch driver spent time with his family and pregnant girlfriend, Kelly Piquet.

With the pre-season testing scheduled in Bahrain from February 26-28, Verstappen is back at the Red Bull factory. He shared a post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle with the caption:

"Back at work 👋"

Verstappen is likely to do simulator tests on the 2025 season challenger before it is unveiled at the FIA event in London. He will hope for improvements in stability and pace of the car, two areas where Red Bull lacked in the previous season.

Moreover, Max Verstappen is stepping into the new season with a new teammate in Liam Lawson after Sergio Perez got sacked following the end of the 2024 season.