McLaren’s Zak Brown says the team is prepared to take the fight to Red Bull in the second half of the 2024 season as the Woking based outfit makes the most of their gains.
With McLaren drastically closing the gap to a once dominant Red Bull Racing as the 2024 F1 season progresses, questions have been raised as to whether the Papaya-clad team can usurp the champions and clinch their first constructors’ championship in 16 years.
When asked about the team’s chances, McLaren CEO Zak Brown said the team are ready to take the fight to Red Bull. He went on to explain his team’s strategy will be more nuanced than the all out drive for victory he sees from his rivals.
“We’re prepared to go toe-to-toe,” Brown said. “Nasty is not how McLaren goes racing. I think you can go toe-to-toe, but you don’t have to be nasty about it. They seem to, at times, have a win-at-all-costs mentality. That’s not how we go racing, but we think you can go toe-to-toe and take the fight to them our own way.”
When asked if the team’s new-found performance has added to the pressure they face during a Grand Prix weekend, he admits there is additional pressure, although the team are relishing the challenge.
“It’s exciting,” he said of the pressure. “It’s a good stress of going: ‘Don’t get this wrong because this is for a race win’, and when it’s a fourth or a fifth or an eighth it’s [different]. But I think it’s enjoyable.
“I’m on the pit wall and the tone of the team led by Andrea [Stella, team principal], by Randy [Singh, racing director]… you wouldn’t know if we’re racing for the win or we’re in 10th. I think that’s what you want to see.
“There’s a lot of race wins and championships inside McLaren, so while it’s a little bit newer to me, Andrea Stella’s been there, done that with one of the best drivers and best teams in the world, as a lot of people inside McLaren.
“We’re hungry for it and we’re very critical of ourselves. If we made a mistake, we talk about it offline, but we definitely do a very detailed post-race analysis. But there’s a lot of confidence in the team.”
When asked if there is still progress to be made for Lando Norris, who has failed to stand on the top step of a podium since his debut victory in Miami, Brown said all drivers are constantly improving regardless of their situation.
“To win the Formula 1 world championship everyone needs to be at 100 percent,” Brown replied. “Lando is learning every time out there, right? He’s got the benefit of one win. Max and Lewis and [Michael] Schumacher, when you’ve won as much as they’ve won, that gives you a lot of experience.
“Lando’s still getting that experience of winning Grands Prix, which I think is great, because the only way to get it is to get stuck in there and he’s just going to continue to improve as a driver. He’s perfectly capable of winning the world championship now, but that doesn’t mean he still can’t get better.
“I think Max is a better driver today than he was in year one or year two of his championships, so these drivers continuously refine their game.”
McLaren’s gains in the constructors’ championship have come not only due to their own progress, but are amplified by the struggles of Sergio Perez at Red Bull. The Mexican driver currently sits in P6 in the drivers’ championship, solidly behind both Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, and a full 137 points shy of his teammate.
Speaking on the struggles of Perez, Brown admits his difficulty has opened the door for McLaren, and their success is equally dependent on how he manages to perform in the latter half of the season.
“Yeah, so I think it’s going to be dependent upon Perez at the end of the day,” Brown said. “Because you’ve just got to assume Max [Verstappen] is going to be first, second, or third at every race, the balance of the year. Probably more firsts than thirds.
“Sergio underperforming is what’s opening the window for us. I think if we have the same points gain we’ve had the last six races, the balance of the year, we’d get the job done. So we’re fully aware of it.
“But the way Andrea motivates the team, it’s all about this weekend, next session, and the next weekend next. So we know we can do it. But that’s not what’s driving our motivation. What’s driving our motivation is trying to get better every session, every week, and kind of the outcome will take care of itself.”
When quizzed on his stance on Perez’s poor performance, Brown admitted he would find his struggles concerning if he were one of his own driver’s, but shied away from discussing the topic.
“I would be, which I’m sure they are, very concerned about the lack of performance. But I like Sergio [Perez], so I wouldn’t want to comment further on that.”
