The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is just around the corner! On the fastest street circuit of the Formula 1 calendar, it’s not just about winning the race. McLaren has the opportunity to take the lead in the Constructors’ Championship. Only eight points separate reigning champions Red Bull from the challengers from Woking. McLaren CEO Zak Brown is gearing up for a ‘wild’ race.
McLaren has emerged as one of the most formidable opponents in Formula 1 over the past six months. On multiple occasions, drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have had the fastest car on the grid. Meanwhile, reigning champions Red Bull are faltering; after a lackluster race in Monza, the situation in Milton Keynes is more critical than ever.
In Baku, the ‘papayas’ have the chance to take the lead in the Constructors’ Championship; Norris and Piastri only need to make up eight points on their Red Bull rivals. This would be a historic comeback for McLaren, which hasn’t topped the Constructors’ Championship since 2010. The last time the team from Woking actually won the title was in 1998.
Ferrari vs McLaren: A Battle for Supremacy
“Baku promises to be a wild ride,” Zak Brown shared in a conversation with Sky Sports. “But we’re just going to try to grab the pole position, that’s our goal every weekend now. We want to occupy the entire first row of the starting grid and then win the race.” In Monza, Norris and Piastri were fast enough for the first two starting spots, but they were outperformed in the race by Charles Leclerc. Brown anticipates that McLaren will face a few more losses.
“I’m certain that we won’t win all the remaining races, the competition is too strong,” he explained. The 52-year-old American knows that Ferrari is lurking. “The constructors’ championship will be fought out by three teams,” said Zak Brown. “Ferrari is only 31 points behind us. If you look at the race in Monza, you can see that it was really between us. It’s going to be very exciting,” he concluded.
