Formula 1 is currently riding a wave of prosperity, but McLaren Racing boss Zak Brown believes the sport is also on the cusp of an era of unprecedented competitiveness, where any team could emerge victorious.
On the surface, that idea seems outlandish. After all, Red Bull and Max Verstappen’s reign has been overwhelming, with the Milton Keynes-based outfit claiming 38 out of the last 44 Grand Prix victories.
However, Brown sees a different picture. He acknowledges Verstappen's brilliance, even offering a "hats off" to the driver and team, but his focus lies beyond the current champions.
The McLaren boss emphasizes the cost cap's role in creating a more level playing field, where the gap between teams is shrinking.
While Verstappen reigned supreme, the battle behind him was fierce. Five teams achieved over seven podiums, and even teams outside F1’s usual suspects made it into Q3 in qualifying.
“On one hand, with one driver, we've never had a less competitive Formula 1 – thank you Max, and hats off,” said Brown, speaking on the KTM Summer Grill.
“Behind Max, it's the most competitive I've ever seen Formula 1. It was the first time in the history of Formula 1 we had five teams with seven or more podiums.
“You had teams that were ninth and 10th in the championship making it into Q3, I wouldn't say on a regular basis, but enough.
“In the good old days of Formula 1, the teams at the back of the grid were three seconds off (the front). Now the entire grid is covered by a second.”
Brown believes this trend will only continue, fueled by relentless development and the narrowing performance gap.
While acknowledging Red Bull’s brilliance and its impact on the 2023 season's predictability, he points to McLaren's own journey from ninth to second fastest as an example of the potential for dramatic shifts.
And he also sees Aston Martin's similar trajectory as further evidence of the sport's inherent competitiveness.
“So I don't think Formula 1's ever been more competitive, and I think it's only going to get even more competitive,” he added.
“You had Max and the RB19 working their magic, which made the racing at the front a little more predictable than we'd all like it to be.
“But behind that, look at us, we were ninth quickest [at the start of the year] and ended up second quickest at the end of it.
“Then you had Aston Martin, second quickest [early on], then kind of dropped to fifth quickest and then made a comeback.
“The teams were amazing, so I think the sport is massively competitive, and I think once some of us catch this Max guy, Formula 1's going to be unlike anything we've seen before.”
Beyond his longer term outlook for F1, Brown says a lingering question mark hangs over Red Bull and their potential dominance.
“The great mystery is Red Bull, and when did they turn off development [of last year's car] to focus on this year?
“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.
“At the same time, Mercedes, Ferrari, these teams have everything they need, and they're great teams.
“I wouldn't be surprised if we were sitting here [at the end of the year] and all of a sudden Mercedes was back to Lewis winning his eighth championship.
“It's very tough and competitive now, and I don't think you can rule anybody out at this time of the year.”
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