McLaren boss Zak Brown is sounding a note of caution to his troops, warning the latter not to dismiss a potential threat in 2025 from an outfit currently outside of F1’s top four.
McLaren has transformed itself since the summer of 2023, elevating its status from a second-tier team to a genuine championship contender on the back of a remarkable development programme.
Oscar Piastri’s win in last year’s sprint event in Qatar was an early validation of the Woking-based squad’s significant progress and rising performance.
This season, ten podiums and two victories – with Lando Norris and Piastri each taking their maiden Grand Prix triumph – have further bolstered the team’s momentum, and all signs point to more strength being deployed in the back half of 2024.
However, Brown is all too aware of the sport’s unpredictable nature and has reminded his team that McLaren’s success can be replicated in 2025 by F1’s lower-tier rivals.
"Next year could be an epic season," Brown said, quoted by RacingNews365.
"It is just an evolution of four teams fighting for the championship, and I think it would be naive to rule out somebody who is not in the top four right now.
"Because we can see how quickly things have changed, with Aston Martin falling back, but they could dial it right back up.
"RB were very quick at the start of the year, so there is no reason why teams can't do what we did.”
McLaren’s rise through the ranks has been achieved through a combination of hard work, strategic development, and the expertise of a talented team.
But as Brown noted, these advantages are not exclusive to McLaren, making the competition for 2025 potentially fiercer than ever.
"We did it through hard work and great people, but everyone has the same sized budget, everyone has similar technology,” he said.
"There is no reason why others can't do what we've done over the last year."
As Formula 1 prepares for a major overhaul of its technical regulations in 2026, Brown is cautiously optimistic about McLaren's prospects.
The team has extended its engine supply deal with Mercedes, a collaboration that Brown believes will be a key factor in their future success.
"I am excited and nervous at the same time, because you just don't know," Brown added.
"I'm very confident on the Mercedes power unit side, so if I think about what keeps me up at night for 2026, it is just the unknown.
"The power unit is the least of our worries, and I feel very confident where Mercedes is in its development, and of course, you don't know where anyone else is.
"But they feel very good, so, therefore, we feel good."
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
