Brown: F1 championship wide open, with 'two Sergios' at Red Bull

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McLaren Racing boss Zak Brown reckons the fight for the title in F1 would be " wide open" this year with two drivers like Sergio Perez at Red Bull.

Red Bull and Verstappen's 2023 campaign is one of near total dominance for team and driver, with the former currently enjoying a 100 per cent win record while the latter claimed at Spa last time out his tenth win of the season.

Thanks to his 125-point lead in the Drivers' championship, all signs now point to Verstappen sealing his third consecutive world title in F1, a feat that could be achieved as early as next month in Singapore.

So far, it's been a tight battle on Sundays for the privilege of sharing the podium with the Dutchman. So much so that Brown reckons that the championship would have a totally different complexion without Red Bull's star driver on the grid.

Read also: Rosberg tells Perez to 'switch off all the media'

"As much as Red Bull is killing everyone right now… it’s really Max is killing everyone right now," Brown told ESPN.

"That Max, Red Bull combination is just unbeatable at the moment and Max and the team aren'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."

In the past, F1's front-running group was comprised of Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari. But this season, Aston Martin's massive step forward and McLaren's recent progress have transformed the sport's leading trio into a quintet.

"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," added Brown.

"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 1."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.