McLaren will be challenged to capture the runner-up spot in F1's Constructors Championship but Zak Brown believes team papaya can finish its season as the second fastest team on the grid, or "best of the rest".
Red Bull and Max Verstappen's unshakeable supremacy have left the Milton Keynes-based outfit and its star driver in a league of their own, but behind the leading duo the battle is tight, with Mercedes, Ferrari, Aston Martin and McLaren trading places.
But Brown reckons that McLaren has the potential to end its 2023 campaign ahead of its direct rivals in terms of absolute performance.
"Red Bull are an incredible team," Brown told Austrian outlet Laola1.
"We try to get close to Max, but every time you think you’re close he pulls away. It’s impressive to watch him.
"To be the second fastest team at the end of the season, best of the rest, would be very satisfying. There’s still a long way to go, but we’re definitely back in the game."
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McLaren has already come a long way, having started its year on the back foot with an MCL60 car that had missed its development targets during its conception phase.
But the implementation of a comprehensive development plan coupled with a reorganization of its engineering department in Woking put the team back on the right path and eventually elevated its car to podium contender over the summer.
Lando Norris scored successive podiums at Silverstone and at the Hungaroring, while rookie Oscar Piastri claimed a remarkable P2 behind Verstappen in Spa's sprint event.
"There’s a lot of things playing together excellently," added Brown. "Our aerodynamics upgrades have been impressive. I take my hat off to that.
"The drivers are now showing their potential. They also did a very good job before, but now they can be even more convincing in the improved car.
"The first laps at Silverstone [where Norris led the field] were a highlight, my pulse went up again rapidly. It’s a shame that Oscar was denied a podium."
McLaren's productive efforts and those of its drivers have allowed the team to overhaul Alpine and seize fifth in the championship, 88 points behind fourth-placed team Ferrari.
The 2023 F1 season will resume next week with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, Verstappen's home race.
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