F1 | Zak Brown believes: “All McLaren departments are title-worthy”

McLaren Racing chief executive Zak Brown has said that all departments of his Formula One team are “world championship material” after years of investment.

Brown took the helm of the Woking-based firm during a period of financial turmoil last decade and, despite further difficulties, including rumours of a takeover by Audi, the American’s commercial acumen has ensured that McLaren has become one of the most sponsor-backed teams on the grid.

With this revenue, numerous infrastructure improvements have been made to the McLaren Technology Centre, as well as changes to the team’s management structure and personnel.

Now that revenue has stabilized, Brown believes all aspects are pointing to success in the championship.

“Everything is going well,” Brown told Motorsport.com in an exclusive interview ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix.

“We have a great investment from our shareholders and our sponsors. We have great drivers, a great technical team and the entire management and technical team needs the resources, the fan base and the corporate partners to be able to do what they are doing.”

“Andrea (Stella) uses the expression ‘world championship material’ and I like to think that all the departments that contribute to performance, directly or indirectly, are all world championship material.”

Brown’s belief was confirmed by the on-track performances, as the team secured Red Bull’s position at the top of the constructors’ standings, thanks to Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who both added their maiden F1 wins to their podium streak.

For Norris, in particular, the victory was long overdue, after having come close to numerous successes – not least the 2021 Russian Grand Prix – and having failed to transform pole position into triumph.

Since his win in Miami, Norris’s view of podiums seems to have changed, from joy to frustration when he fails to get to the top step; when asked what has changed in his driver, Brown replied: “I think the aspiration to win has increased.”

“He’s always been a great driver, the only thing that has taken a long time is that we gave him a car that can win. Now he’s regularly leading, so I think the expectations are clearly higher.”

“We know we’re coming into the latest races with a chance to win every weekend. So that brings more excitement, but also higher expectations and more pressure, but we’re all enjoying it.”

Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, 2nd position, Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Team, 1st position, the McLaren trophy delegate with the trophies on the podium

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

On whether the team’s mentality has changed in light of the victories, Brown added: “It has, just the number of times we’ve finished second and now that we’ve tasted victory… Second is still a fantastic result, we always celebrate every podium because it’s a massive achievement, we don’t take it for granted.”

“But we want to win and we know we can do it. So when we finish second, like we did this year, by a second or half a second, like we did in Imola and by a hair in Canada, it feels a little flatter than it did a few years ago, when we were starting to get back on the podium.”

McLaren’s strategic choices have been called into question in recent races, an issue highlighted by perceived operational shortcomings that sparked the Norris-versus-Piastri team order issue at the Hungarian Grand Prix – a saga that overshadowed the team’s first 1-2 finish in three years.

Attributing the missteps to the team’s new position at the front of the field, Brown explained: “I think some of the mistakes we’ve made this year are due to the youth of a team that hasn’t run up front as consistently as we do now.”

“We didn’t optimize at Silverstone, in Hungary we got to the end, but not without some emotion. So I think it will take a little more time.”

“I think Toto [Wolff, team principal della Mercedes] He eloquently said that sometimes you don’t learn these things until you’re in the heat of battle and so now that we’re in the heat of battle, we’re learning some things as we go, but that’s okay.”

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR24

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images

“What I always tell the team is that mistakes are okay, just learn from them and don’t make the same mistake twice. That way you become smarter the next time.

“So I’m pretty comfortable with the learning we’ve done this year.”