McLaren boss Zak Brown says he wouldn’t be surprised to see Lewis Hamilton back in business next season with Mercedes and contending for a record eighth world title.
Since his controversial defeat to Max Verstappen in F1’s 2021 season finale in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton has endured back-to-back winless campaigns with Mercedes due to the Brackley squad’s failure to properly grasp F1’s new ground-effect regulations.
The team significantly improved last season thanks to changing the concept of its W14 car, but despite his immense talent, Hamilton was still unable to take the fight to the dominant Red bull squad.
But that could change this year as Brown’s optimism is rooted in his conviction that Mercedes will be able to bounce back from their recent struggles and produce a championship-winning car in 2024.
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He acknowledged the formidable challenge posed by Red Bull, who have dominated the past two seasons with Verstappen at the helm, but believes that Hamilton, with his unparalleled experience and talent, remains a serious contender for the title.
“We like what we’re seeing in the windtunnel and CFD at the moment, so we feel like we’re going to take a step forward,” Brown told Speedcafe, talking about team papaya’s prospects for 2024.
“How much? The great mystery on Red Bull is when did they turn off the development of their car to focus on next year [2024], and I think the answer is probably pretty early, so we’ll just have to wait and see how much Adrian Newey magic comes out of the oven so to speak to see where we are.
“And at the same time Mercedes or Ferrari, these teams have everything they need and are great teams and I wouldn’t be surprised if we were sitting here and all of a sudden Mercedes was back to Lewis winning his eighth championship.
“It’s very tough and competitive now. I don’t think you can rule anybody out.”
After turning around its fortunes last summer thanks to a comprehensive development programme, McLaren ended its campaign as Red Bull’s main challenger and fourth in F1’s Constructors’ standings.
While Brown is convinced that his team will continue to trend higher, he also believes that both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will continue to impress.
“It’s great to have the driver line-up that we have,” added the American.
“We look at what we need to be a world championship team again, you’ve got to have two great drivers, and I think we’re comfortable we can tick that box.”
McLaren's last F1 Constructors' Championship triumph came in 1998, with the talented duo of Mika Häkkinen and David Coulthard steering the team to victory.
However, it was Hamilton who etched his name in McLaren's history as their most recent drivers' champion, claiming the title in the unforgettable 2008 season.
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