McLaren set their clear F1 2024 goal as war with Red Bull prepares to resume

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has made it clear that World Championship glory is the aim for his team as the second half of F1 2024 looms.

With its MCL38 now arguably the fastest and most versatile car on the grid, the chances of a McLaren F1 championship win are realistic if the second half of the season is as competitive as the first.

Zak Brown: The goal is the World Championship

Additional reporting by Pablo Hidalgo

McLaren has turned both of its drivers into Grand Prix winners this season, with Lando Norris’ maiden win coming in Miami, and Oscar Piastri’s at the Hungaroring.

Max Verstappen’s excellent start to the season has him in a reasonably comfortable position in the Drivers’ Championship, 78 points clear of Norris as McLaren’s leading driver, but there’s a strong chance for McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship.

McLaren is just 42 points behind Red Bull and, unlike the Milton Keynes-based squad, have two drivers performing to the potential of the car as Sergio Perez has struggled for form throughout the middle portion of the season.

Perez’s form will likely play a deciding role in how close the championship gets, Brown has previously said, and the team CEO has said the performance level of McLaren is such that the championship is now the goal as a 10-race flurry to the season finale begins this weekend at Zandvoort.

“The World Championship,” was Brown’s firm answer to DAZN , when asked for McLaren’s goals for 2024.

It would be the Woking-based team’s first Constructors’ Championship win since 1998, more than a quarter of a century ago, and such ambitions didn’t appear possible at the start of the season – but Brown said this year is now within reach.

“Oh yeah, for sure! That’s the goal,” he said.

“It’s game on but it’s not going to be easy.”

With questions to be answered on who the strongest team overall is as Verstappen has kept Red Bull in the fight through a tricky middle portion of the season, Brown expressed his confidence in McLaren’s pace.

“I think we have a very strong team and I think it’s so close. But I like where we are,” he said. “I wouldn’t like to be at any place other than McLaren right now.”

Not only has Red Bull had to worry about McLaren’s form, but Mercedes, too. While McLaren hit its stride a little earlier in the season, Mercedes has come on leaps and bounds with its W15 and ended the first half of the season with three wins from four races – and a 1-2 in Belgium, prior to George Russell’s underweight car being disqualified.

With McLaren contending with Mercedes to topple Red Bull from its perch, Brown said his team is eyeing up all their rivals with equal levels of admiration and fear.

“We are concerned about all of them. Mercedes have definitely found their form,” he said.

“So I think they are going to be hard work [for us]. Ferrari seems like they are off a little bit, but just a little bit. So they could be back with one upgrade. And, Max, it’s obviously very special in an awesome team. So I’m worried about all of them.”

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With the summer break coming to a close and all eyes on the final 10 races to decide the titles, Brown said F1 is putting on a great show for fans of the sport, and welcomed the mental reset of the few weeks shutdown.

“I think the whole team needed a bit of a recharge,” he said.

“I think it’s good the way Formula 1 mandates the shutdown. It’s a long brutal season. We are more than halfway through the season but it almost feels like we’ve done a whole season. Everyone can use the recharge to spend some time with their friends and family and come back strong.

“Formula 1 is at an unbelievable spot. If you look at the grid, you have four teams capable of winning every weekend or any weekend. So it is a good show.”

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