Zak Brown uses bizarre method to lure Max Verstappen to McLaren after he has again proven in Azerbaijan that his superiority left the rest of the team far behind
BAKU – Max Verstappen has again delivered a master class in the streets of Baku. The Dutch driver of Red Bull Racing convincingly dominated the Grand Prix of Azerbaijan, with a lead of more than fourteen seconds on his close pursuer George Russell from Mercedes. It was a race that underlined the superiority of Verstappen, not only in relation to his competitors, but especially towards his own teammate Yuki Tsunoda, who was narrowly sixth. While Red Bull is struggling with internal unrest and inconsistent performance, Verstappen seems to be the only light point in a team that was once unapproachable. And exactly at the moment McLaren-CEO Zak Brown decides to intervene with one of the most eccentric recruitment maneuvers from Formula 1 history: a handwritten letter in the form of an origami-crane bird, filled with a USB stick full of “Secret McLaren-Memes” and an invitation to a “secret mission”.
The race in Azerbaijan, who was held on September 22, 2025, was a repeat of the glory that Verstappen recently experienced in Singapore. From pole position he led almost the entire race, with a strategic pit stop that only increased his lead. “It was fantastic,” said Verstappen afterwards in the press conference, showing a rare smile. “The car felt perfectly in the winding sections, and the tire management was Spot On.” His end time of 1: 33: 26,408 was a statement: Carlos Sainz van Ferrari finished third in eighteen seconds, and Kimi Antonelli, the young debutant at Mercedes, could not get closer in the fourth position. But the real eye-opener was the gap within Red Bull. Tsunoda, who already received criticism of his inconsistency several times this season, finished sixth after a late charge on the Racing Bulls drivers. “Yuki did his best,” recognized team boss Laurent Mekies, “but Max is just at a different level. He is wearing the team on his shoulders.”
This performance comes at a crucial moment in the season. With six races to go, Lando Norris van McLaren leads the championship with 285 points, followed by Oscar Piaastri with 254. Verstappen is third with 238 points, but his recent victories – now four in total this year – have revived the title fight. Red Bull, which struggled halfway through the season with aerodynamic problems and internal tensions after the departure of adviser Helmut Marko, finally seems to get a grip on the upgrades. Yet the question remains: how long can Verstappen persist without a more competitive team around him? Rumors about his future have been buzzing for months. Mercedes beckons with a chair next to Antonelli for 2026, and even Ferrari has done sondages. But nobody expected the bizarre approach of Zak Brown.
Brown, the flamboyant American who has been leading McLaren since 2018, is known for his marketing stunts. From collaborations with rappers to memes on social media – he does everything to put his team in the spotlight. After the race in Baku, where McLaren had a disappointing weekend with Norris on P7 and Piastri on P9 through a strategic blunder, Brown immediately intervened. In an exclusive interview with Racingnews365 he revealed his plan: “Max is a phenomenon. What he did in Baku was pure magic. He showed that he is not only the fastest, but also the smartest. And yes, I want him at McLaren. But not with a boring phone call. I have an Origami-jap of it, Signami? Crekeste Memes made about Red Bull’s “waving” cars.
The method sounds like something from a Hollywood comedy, but Brown is serious. The origami arrived at Verstappens Hotel in Baku only hours after the Chequered Flag, accompanied by a bottle of papaya drink – a nod to the Dutch drivers prefer for exotic flavors. Verstappen, who rarely responds to transfer rumors, shared a cryptic Instagram post: a photo of the crane with the caption “Birds of a different color?” Fans exploded online, with hashtags such as #moxtomclars and #origamioffer Trending on X. Brown, who previously predicted that Verstappen would leave Red Bull at the end of 2025, sees this as the perfect hook. “He is wearing Red Bull,” he said earlier this year in a podcast. “Without Max, Racing Bulls would be in front of them. At McLaren he would find a team that is worthy of him – two winners, not a ballast.”
Critics call it a gimmick, but Brown’s track record speaks for itself. Under his leadership, McLaren climbed from mid -engine to title candidate, with constructors championship in sight. Norris and Piastri form a Dream team, but a Verstappen would make it unbeatable. “I would not be surprised if he leaves,” Brown said about the Mercedes rumors in July. “But if he chooses Orange, then that’s fireworks.” The bizarre origami is only the beginning; Sources report that McLaren is preparing an “escape room” in Silverstone, themed around Red Bull’s internal dramas, where Verstappen gets Hints about 2026 plans.
For Verstappen itself it remains quiet. In a short conversation with Dutch media after the race, he waved the speculations away: “I focus on now. Baku was great, but more is coming.” Yet his dominance in Azerbaijan – where he took the fastest round and won the DHL Fastest Lap Award – shows that he rises above the rest. Red Bull celebrates the victory, but the shadows of instability are hanging. With the Dutch GP on the way in Zandvoort, where a home crowd cheer, the pressure is growing. Will the origami-crane bird be the spark that lures Verstappen to McLaren? Or does he keep wearing Red Bull until it breaks?
In the whirlwind of F1, where loyalty is brittle and talent Koning, Brown proves that even in a sport of precision and power, a touch of absurdity can break through. While the paddock is buzzing with rumors, the world is waiting: lands the crane, or does he fly through?
