Formula One’s current season would have the hallmarks of a classic if Red Bull had two Sergio Perezes instead of one Max Verstappen, according to McLaren boss Zak Brown.
Red Bull has won every sprint race and grand prix this year and is on course for the first undefeated season in F1 history.
Verstappen went into F1’s mid-season break with eight straight wins and a mammoth 125-point lead over teammate Perez under his belt.
Speaking to ESPN, Brown said Verstappen’s talent is what’s turning Red Bull’s advantage into dominance.
“As much as Red Bull’s killing everyone right now… it’s really Max is killing everyone right now,” Brown said. “That Max, Red Bull combination is just unbeatable at the moment and Max and the team isn’t making any mistakes.
“If they had two Sergios in the car, with all due respect, this championship would kind of be wide open. So you’ve got something pretty special going on with Max and Red Bull.”
Horner: Merc’s dominant years felt like jail sentence
While Red Bull has enjoyed comfortable victories out in front, the fight behind has featured regular changes to the competitive order.
Aston Martin emerged from the season as clear second best before Mercedes made big gains from the upgrade it introduced in Monaco.
Brown’s McLaren has supplanted its rivals in that spot, with a big upgrade leading to podium finishes for Lando Norris in Silverstone and Budapest.
“If you take Max out of it and take everyone who’s finished second this year and give them a win, it would be a pretty competitive, exciting championship,” Brown added.
“We’ve had a second, Aston’s had a second, Ferrari’s had a second, Mercedes has had a second, Sergio’s had a second. You would have five teams that would have won a race this year.
“As soon as we all catch up to Red Bull I think that’s going to be the state of play for Formula One.”
Verstappen’s dominance has led to fears Formula One’s current boom period could cool off and drive fans away.
Asked if he felt that was the case, Brown said: “No. I think one, the races are uber exciting. And it’s not just about who wins, right? There’s racing throughout the field and the racing’s been awesome.
“I think we’ve seen in other sports, Tiger Woods win every single time out and ratings were never greater because people admire seeing an athlete at the top of the sport.
“I wouldn’t want it to go on forever but I don’t think it’s hurting us. The depth of competition is fascinating, the races have been super exciting and they tend to cover the whole field.
“I wouldn’t want to see it continue, for selfish reasons, but for right now it’s totally sustainable.”
F1’s season continues with the Dutch Grand Prix on Aug. 27.