Zak Brown optimistic about McLaren replicating Mercedes and Red Bull’s domination in F1

Zak Brown optimistic about McLaren replicating Mercedes and Red Bull’s domination in F1

Zak Brown

WhatsApp Image 2021 02 03 at 6.54.35 AM
Zak Brown

McLaren registered its best season in 2020, finishing 3rd in the constructors standing signified a lot of positive aspects in their team. Looking to go a step further, they brought in Australian Driver Daniel Ricciardo to drive alongside Lando Norris in 2021. McLaren CEO, Zak Brown believes that the team has gained the right momentum to challenge Mercedes.  

Talking about McLaren’s struggle in 2010s. When the team ended their association with Mercedes and moved onto Honda it turned out to be a colossal failure. They suffered one of their most horrific seasons in 2015, where they finished ninth in the Constructor’s Championship with 27 points. McLaren ended this alliance in 2018 and moved to Renault engines. This enabled them to have a mini-renaissance. Eventually they finished third in the Constructor’s Championship in 2020, which was their best finish since 2012. 

Zak Brown believes McLaren can replicate the same success Mercedes and Red Bull had in F1 

He said in an interview as per MotorSport, “By getting I think the right people in the right place, focusing the organization, and bringing some energy and change, we’re now starting to see that all working.” 

The American believes they are well-set for the future, saying, “We have everything we need now, whether that’s drivers, team principal, technical director, power unit, sponsor partners, investors, the resources, the CapEx [projects], but it’s going to take more time to gel.” 

He compares the situation to Mercedes and Red Bull. Brown said, “If you look at the two more recent dominations: Mercedes, it took them a little bit of time to build that momentum to get there, then once they got there, they’re hard to knock off the top of the mountain.” 

“Before that, it was Red Bull. It took them a little bit of time to get there. So this is a momentum business. I think we have good momentum. But we still have a long way to go.” 

Having said that, it’s a positive sign to see Brown being so optimistic with his Team ahead of the start of the upcoming season. But will McLaren return to Mercedes engine prove to a game-changer? Who knows, let’s find out as the season commences from March in Bahrain. 

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