Zak Brown warns McLaren’s lead could vanish with a single rival upgrade. Zak Brown warns McLaren could lose its lead in F1 with just one rival upgrade.

The 2024 Formula 1 season has delivered many lessons, especially for McLaren, which managed to climb the rankings and secure the Constructors’ title thanks to a decisive upgrade package.

The championship initially seemed set to be another dominant run for Red Bull, which had won the early races. But everything changed from the Miami GP onwards: the updates introduced on the MCL38 turned McLaren into the new benchmark on the grid.

For this reason, the British team is well aware of how quickly the pecking order can shift and has no intention of letting its guard down in 2025, a season in which it has so far been the clear favorite.

According to Zak Brown, the gaps between teams are minimal, and just the right upgrade at the right time is enough to flip the hierarchy: “We saw four teams within five seconds in a close race. There was no Safety Car to bunch up the field. Each team is potentially just one upgrade away from being the team to beat. Last year Red Bull probably had an even bigger advantage than we currently do, but they ended up finishing third in the championship. We are fully aware of how fast everything can change in this sport,” said Zak Brown.

Piastri: “McLaren still has an advantage”

Oscar Piastri also shared his thoughts, saying his MCL39 remains the most competitive car at the moment:

“I think our car was still the fastest,” he said.
“Max was quicker than I expected, especially in the race.”
“Over one lap it wasn’t a surprise to see him competitive, but in the second stint on mediums I didn’t expect to struggle that much. Clearly, there’s still work to do.”

“Our car is still very good, but if we compare this circuit’s layout with Suzuka, those are the two tracks where Max and Red Bull came closest.”
“We still have an advantage, though it’s less pronounced on layouts and surfaces like this one. It’s still a very strong car.”

The young Australian once again shows great composure and awareness, fully mindful of McLaren’s strengths.
In Jeddah, victory seemed within Verstappen’s grasp, and without the penalty, he probably would have taken the win. However, despite the difficulties caused by an unfavourable track and dirty air, McLaren remains, for now, the team with the most complete package on the grid.