Speak of McLaren being favourites for the 2025 drivers’ and constructors’ titles “could be boastful” says Zak Brown.
Whereas Pink Bull did a fairly good job of imploding this season, McLaren quietly received on with the job of constructing on its 2023 turnaround, and as soon as the intense updates started showing in Miami, the Woking outfit quickly grew to become a serious pressure occurring to with the constructors’ title for the primary time since 1998.
It was too late for Lando Norris to overtake Max Verstappen, who virtually single-handed stored Pink Bull within the sport, however already there’s discuss of McLaren claiming each titles in 2025.
“I believe favourites could be boastful,” stated the McLaren boss, in line with RACER.
“I see no cause why we will not be one of many favourites,” he added. “You’ve got received 4 groups which might be profitable races frequently, so I do not see how one can put anyone as a favorite going into subsequent 12 months.
To Pete Prodromou’s credit score, he got here into this 12 months considering we might win the world championship,” stated the American of the staff’s aero guru. “I wasn’t there… I am there now, that subsequent 12 months, we will try to win the Constructors’ and Drivers’ world championship.
“That is the mind-set of everybody else,” he continued, “however I do know there’s a minimum of three different groups, and perhaps a shock, however a minimum of three different groups that may have that very same mind-set, and I believe they’ve nearly as good an opportunity as anybody.”
Not like Pink Bull, McLaren had two drivers usually difficult for podiums and grabbing as many factors as doable.
“Each race weekend, you watch System 1’s finest driver pairing, Lando and Oscar, get behind the wheel of the MCL38 and put in a shift for this staff,” stated the American. “Most of the time this 12 months, that is been on the entrance of the sector, with six wins, 21 podiums, and eight pole positions, together with a run of 14 consecutive podiums, the second-longest streak in our historical past.
“Our drivers have carried out us proud,” he continued. “Lando pushed Max onerous within the drivers’ championship and is the primary driver to complete second for us since Jenson in 2011. And in solely his second season, Oscar has change into the primary McLaren driver to complete as excessive as fourth for us since Lewis in 2012.
“On and off observe, each made big strides this 12 months, displaying they have what it takes to problem for the championship.”
In fact, the pair’s starvation for achievement might effectively work towards the staff, for Piastri is a possible champion in his personal proper and is clearly unwilling to play a subservient Rubens Barrichello, Valtteri Bottas-type function to Norris as seemed to be the case for a lot of 2024.
