In 2024, McLaren will be back in the lead in Formula One, which has chief executive Zak Brown “surprised.” The team is now only 42 points behind Red Bull in the constructors’ standings.
The Woking-based team made a huge breakthrough in 2023 and finished as Red Bull’s main rival by the end of the season. This year, they have made even more progress.
With wins in Miami and Hungary, respectively, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have achieved their first career grand prix victories. Additionally, McLaren has placed on the podium ten times in the last twelve races, solidifying their position as the top constructors with ten races left.
“If I were to sit here and say I’m not surprised, that would be disingenuous,” Brown told BBC Sport.
“Red Bull had such an advantage over everyone and Mercedes has been so dominant.
“I felt like we’d continue to close the gap. Did I think we would be here at the summer break, one race away from getting the lead?
McLaren has had a successful F1 season so far (Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
“That race would have to be first and second and fastest lap, and do I think it’s going to happen like that? No. But if we keep the same trajectory we’ve been on the last six, seven races, we’ll be where we need to be by the end of the year.
“I thought we might get where we are now by 2025. I didn’t think we would be where we are now in 2024. But I’m not complaining.”
Sergio Perez’s dismal performance has hurt Red Bull’s hopes of winning the constructors’ championship for a third straight year. The Mexican driver is now 146 points behind championship leader Max Verstappen. Since Miami, Perez has never placed higher than eighth.
Despite finishing on the podium in the last six races, Mercedes, which won eight consecutive constructors’ championships from 2014 to 2021, has struggled in the team rankings. They trail McLaren by 100 points and are ranked fourth on the rankings. In contrast, Ferrari sits in third place, 21 points behind McLaren.
Though Perez hopes to bounce back after the summer break and maybe restructure the rankings, Brown is apprehensive about earning the constructors’ title and thinks the racing will stay close throughout the season.
“It’s going to be tough,” the American added. “I think it’s going to come down to the last race. There’s not much between the cars. It’s going to come down to how does Sergio Perez perform?
“If he can perform as he’s capable of performing, it’s going to be a hard fight. If he continues to perform as he has this year, we have a pretty good chance, because we have two drivers constantly performing at the front.”
(Top photo: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
