F1 News: McLaren Boss Warns Red Bull As He Admits Car Will Be Even Faster On Different Tracks

McLaren boss Zak Brown warns Red Bull that the McLaren car will be even faster on tracks better suited to its design, following impressive performances such as Lando Norris claiming pole position at the Spanish Grand Prix.

McLaren driver Lando Norris, right, speaks to Oracle Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen after the Formula 1 Lenovo United States Grand Prix at Circuit of Americas on Sunday Oct. 22, 2023. / Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman /

McLaren’s emergence as a potent force in the Formula 1 world reached new heights with Lando Norris claiming pole position at the Spanish Grand Prix, a feat team boss Zak Brown describes as just the beginning. The McLaren group has seen a significant surge in performance since the British Grand Prix in 2023, with Brown warning rivals like Red Bull that the car could perform even better on other circuits more suited to their car.

Since the introduction of pivotal upgrades at Silverstone, McLaren has consistently challenged for podiums. This progress was evident in Spain, where despite the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya not being one of the best tracks for McLaren—referred to by Brown as a “category B” track—the team still demonstrated formidable speed. This glimpse of potential suggests that McLaren could be even more competitive on circuits that better suit their car's design and capabilities.

“The fact that we put the car on pole here, at a Category B circuit, is obviously very encouraging,” Brown stated in a recent interview with Sky Sports Fa during their broadcast. His comments underline a strategic optimism that circuits he categorized as "Category A" could see McLaren capturing more significant victories, much like their triumph at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix.

Effectively turning around their fortunes, the McLaren chief also highlighted their upturn in form at the Miami Grand Prix earlier this year, where further improvements to the vehicle showed they were a team on the ascent, optimistic about leading more races. This was evident when Norris impressively out-qualified Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by a narrow 0.020 seconds in Spain.

“All the men and women at McLaren have just done a fantastic job back at the factory, back here at the racetrack. We have a really good race car now that we hope to continue to improve on,” Brown emphasized, reflecting a buoyant mood within the team about their forward momentum.

However, the journey hasn’t been without its struggles. Close calls and missed victories at circuits like Imola and Canada hint at what might have been, yet they also serve as motivation for the team to keep pushing the boundaries of their car’s capabilities. Brown's forward-looking stance signals a positive future, forecasting more wins and suggesting that continuous improvements in team performance and car upgrades could soon disrupt the conventional power dynamics among top F1 teams like Red Bull and Ferrari.