McLaren CEO Zak Brown has reignited the team’s ambitions, insisting that despite a difficult start to the season, the Woking-based outfit is still aiming to recover and fight Mercedes at the front of the Formula 1 grid.
Even though McLaren’s opening phase of the season has been challenging, the entire organisation in Woking continues to believe in the potential of the MCL40. While Mercedes currently appears to have an edge—possibly even the upper hand in terms of performance and overall package—McLaren insists that a comeback is still possible.
After all, the reigning world champions, who have dominated the last two seasons, are not expected to give up after just three races. Furthermore, Oscar Piastri’s strong performance at Suzuka has provided renewed optimism for the British team.
On the eve of the Japanese Grand Prix, Lando Norris had already stated to the media that McLaren could still become the fastest car on the grid again. However, after the first two rounds—particularly the Chinese Grand Prix, where both McLaren drivers struggled and were notably absent from the fight at the front—his comments initially seemed overly optimistic.
Yet the latest race saw Piastri defend his lead against George Russell, only losing out due to Safety Car timing that did not favour the #81 car.
Meanwhile, those working on the technical side of the project have identified the chassis as the main area of concern. Team principal Andrea Stella has explained that the early difficulties are largely due to extremely tight development schedules, which prevented McLaren from optimising the car during its build phase.
However, since McLaren adopted a new philosophy under Stella and Zak Brown, the situation has changed significantly. The difficult 2022 season now feels like a distant memory. There is a growing belief that Norris’ prediction could become reality. While McLaren may not yet have a car faster than Mercedes, a consistent fight at the front is increasingly realistic. The CEO shares the same view as his star driver.
Zak Brown on McLaren: “We can still have the best car”
The American manager remains confident in a comeback. McLaren’s engineers have already demonstrated that they can deliver strong results when placed in the right environment, meaning a turnaround is not just possible but expected within the organisation.
“Comeback? I believe we can still be the best,” Zak Brown said in an interview with Channel 4. “The competition is incredible, but if you look at what the men and women at McLaren have achieved in recent years, they have done a fantastic job developing our car.”
“We started from the back and climbed back to the top. Now we are somewhere between the third and second-best team. I am confident in the work my team is doing.”
McLaren launches the challenge to Mercedes
In a long and still unpredictable championship, McLaren appears determined to rely on its ability to respond under pressure. At Woking, they acknowledge that the gap to Mercedes is real at this stage, but they do not see it as insurmountable.
The team’s recent history shows that in moments of difficulty, McLaren has often managed to reinvent itself and find effective technical solutions.
If upcoming chassis upgrades deliver the expected gains and restore lost competitiveness, the MCL40 could once again operate much closer to its winter expectations and return to the front-running fight in Formula 1.
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