Max Verstappen's Brutal Dig at Zak Brown as Red Bull Driver Branded 'Arrogant'

Max Verstappen didn't hold back when replying to McLaren boss Zak Brown's comments about the Formula One champion.

The final stint of the 2025 Formula One season gets underway this weekend as the grid line up for the Las Vegas Grand Prix on the iconic Vegas strip.

With just three races left on the calendar, the events of the Las Vegas Grad Prix could prove to be decisive in the 2025 title race between Lando Norris, McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri and reining champion Verstappen.

Ahead of the race, McLaren boss Brown reignited a past feud with Verstappen with comments branding the four-time world champion as 'arrogant' and a 'bruiser'.

And in doing so, Verstappen's brutal comeback to Brown's previous comments about his driving style have resurfaced on social media.

Zak Brown became McLaren Racing CEO IN 2018. (Image: Kym Illman/Getty Images)

Throughout his time as CEO of McLaren Racing, Brown has regularly exchanged blows with senior officials in Red Bull including both Verstappen and former team principal Christian Horner.

And in a new interview with The Telegraph, the American opened up about his feelings towards the pair, admitting: "I don’t want to disparage Max…. He’s a four-time world champion.

“He can be a bruiser, too aggressive on track. His arrogance comes out. If you look at some of the greatest champions in Formula One, they’ve had some arrogance about them. They get their elbows out.”

But Brown admitted that Verstappen has taken this too far on some occasions, adding: “Max has crossed the line on track at times. In Brazil against Lewis Hamilton over time. A handful of his passes on Lewis were overly aggressive.”

The comments echo Brown's criticism of Verstappen's driving style in December last year, as Brown praised the Dutchman for winning the title, but argued that his driving style was too aggressive.

Speaking to ViaPlay NL, the McLaren chief claimed: “Max is such an awesome racing driver just don’t think he needs to drive like that. drive like the world champion that you are.

"It was unnecessary, puts everybody at risk and it’s not clean racing.”

But the comment clearly didn't sit well with Verstappen, who hit out at Brown in a follow-up interview with the Dutch broadcaster, laughing while adding: "I always find that really funny, coming from someone that failed themselves in racing."

Verstappen is one of the most successful F1 drivers of all-time. (Image: Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)

After winning $3,050 (£2,320) competing on the game show Wheel of Fortune back in 1984, Brown bought his first go-kart and began his racing career in karting in 1986.

The American went on to race internationally internationally in categories like British Formula Ford, Formula 3, and the Toyota Atlantic Series, but never achieved his dream of making it into F1.

However, he did compete at the 24 Hours at Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring in the GT2 class with Roock Racing and achieved a second place finish in both.

Brown then spent years dipping out and back into racing whilst also focusing on his motorsport marketing business and his own racing team, later joining McLaren Technology Group, as executive director in 2016 before taking over as CEO of McLaren Racing in 2018.