McLaren CEO Zak Brown has declared the team is aware that “one upgrade” from a competitor could be enough to see it be dethroned as the pacesetter in Formula 1.
The Woking-based squad has built on clinching the Constructors’ Championship last season with a dominant start to 2025, landing four victories in the first five races.
That has handed McLaren a substantial 77-point advantage over the side’s closest rival Mercedes, while Oscar Piastri leads team-mate Lando Norris in the standings.
However, McLaren isn’t resting on its laurels as Brown highlighted that Red Bull harboured a bigger advantage this time 12 months ago and lost the Constructors’ title.
The upcoming Miami Grand Prix was the weekend last season which saw McLaren introduce the upgrades that elevated it into being the benchmark team on the grid.
Brown has stressed that McLaren’s margin over the competition is close enough to ensure that a rival side could make an identical step with a single update package.
“I think you saw what was it four teams there within five seconds, in a flat-out race,” Brown told Channel 4. “There was no Safety Car that bunched everyone back up.”
“So I kind of feel like everyone’s just one upgrade away from being that lead car.
“You saw what we did last year from Miami. Probably the lead was bigger this time last year with Red Bull and yet they finished third in the championship.
“So we’re well-grounded in the reality of how quickly the sport can change.”
Piastri insists McLaren has the edge
Like in Suzuka, Max Verstappen appeared to have the McLarens covered in Saudi Arabia without the penalty that he incurred over an opening-lap incident with Piastri.
Piastri has insisted McLaren still possesses an edge over the opposition, but he acknowledged that the reigning champions’ gap is less pronounced at select circuits.
“I think our car was still quicker,” Piastri told media including Motorsport Week. “I think it was difficult to be in dirty air.
“Max was quicker than I expected for sure in the race.
“I thought over one lap it wasn’t a huge surprise to see Max quick, but in the race, I wasn’t expecting to struggle so much at the end of the Medium stint, that’s for sure.
“So clearly we’ve got some work to do.
“I think our car is still very good, but when you look at the layout here compared to Suzuka, it’s the most similar so far, and it’s been the two where Max and Red Bull have been closer.
“I think we still have an advantage. I don’t think it’s as big on surfaces like this and layouts like this, but we still have a very strong car at the moment.”
READ MORE – Lando Norris: ‘People talking crap’ need to ‘recalibrate’ view on McLaren advantage
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