Steiner: Verstappen to McLaren Makes No Sense

Guenther Steiner has no time for the Verstappen-to-McLaren rumours. The former Haas team principal called the speculation outright nonsense ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, and his reasoning is hard to argue with.

Speaking on The Red Flags Podcast, Steiner pointed to a simple problem with the narrative: McLaren is not an upgrade. The Woking outfit sits third in the championship standings with 179 constructor points, more than 150 behind Mercedes. Verstappen moving there would be a lateral step at best. "McLaren is struggling more than Red Bull," Steiner said bluntly. "So you move there to do what? It's a lateral move. It's not a move forward."

Steiner also flagged the Zak Brown problem. The McLaren CEO has repeatedly and publicly backed Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Walking that back to sign Verstappen would shred his credibility. That reality alone makes the rumour structurally weak.

Where could Verstappen actually go? Steiner named Mercedes and Ferrari as the only genuine step forward — but both garages are full. Hamilton, Russell, Leclerc and Antonelli are not going anywhere. Unless a third car is somehow sanctioned, there is no seat.

His conclusion: Verstappen should stay, stop the talent drain at Red Bull, and rebuild from within. "There is nothing better around at the moment than what he is sitting in," Steiner said. It is a cold-blooded assessment, but the numbers back it up. Verstappen is seventh in the drivers' standings on 76 points, 103 adrift of championship leader Kimi Antonelli.

How Verstappen responds at Spa this weekend could say plenty about the season still to come. Follow all the action at our race centre.

First reported by Motorsport.com.