Brown admits surprise at McLaren’s position as he identifies key factor in constructors’ battle

Formula 1

“That race would have to be the first and second and fastest lap, and do I think it’s going to happen like that? No. But if we keep the same trajectory we’ve been on the last six, seven races, we’ll be where we need to be by the end of the year.

“I thought we might get where we are now by 2025. I didn’t think we would be where we are now in 2024, but I’m not complaining.”

This season presents McLaren with a real chance of taking their first victory in the constructors’ championship since 1998, when they won it with drivers David Coulthard and Mika Hakkinen. They have also enjoyed remarkable consistency with at least one McLaren driver finishing on the podium every race since Norris took his first win in Miami.

READ MORE: McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella signs multi-year contract extension

Red Bull, meanwhile, have been hampered in their bid to retain the constructors’ title in part due to the poor form of Sergio Perez, with the Mexican 146 points behind team mate and championship leader Max Verstappen.

While having two drivers consistently in the top three has given McLaren an advantage, Brown is not ready to confidently claim the constructors’ title with Perez hoping to bounce back after the summer break.

He said: “It’s going to be tough. I think it’s going to come down to the last race. There’s not much between the cars.

“It’s gonna come down to how does Sergio Perez perform? If he can perform as he’s capable of performing, it’s going to be a hard fight. If he continues to perform as he has this year, we have a pretty good chance.”

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