Zak Brown backtracks on contentious Max Verstappen remark

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has rowed back on calling Max Verstappen a "bruiser", claiming it was meant as a compliment to the Red Bull driver.

The American stated he would say the same of Ayrton Senna, whom he labelled his "favourite driver of all time" after an interview he conducted with British newspaper The Telegraph proved controversial in the run-up to the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

When discussing the Dutchman, Brown said: "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 1, they’ve had some arrogance about them. They get their elbows out."

However, he has now partially walked back those comments, insisting they were taken "out of context" in the aftermath of them going viral on social media platforms.

"I called him a bruiser, a fighter, but that's a compliment," the 54-year-old told De Telegraaf in the paddock over the weekend in Sin City.

"That's what I call Ayrton Senna, too, and he's my favourite driver of all time."

The Dutch publication also reported that Brown sought out Verstappen, contacting the 68-time grand prix winner to clarify the quotes and dispel any animosity between the pair.

Brown has praised the 28-year-old in the past, stating he would like to team up with him in the future, given their shared love of GT racing and McLaren's presence in that form of motorsport.