McLaren CEO Zak Brown identifies a significant advantage that McLaren has over two of its closest competitors, Red Bull and Mercedes, in the upcoming season. These two top teams will be starting the opening race in Melbourne with less experienced debutants. Brown anticipates that both drivers could have a ‘rookie weekend’, which would be advantageous for McLaren’s pursuit of a second consecutive constructors’ title.
In 2025, there will be as many as six rookies on the grid, including Lewis Hamilton’s successor at Mercedes: Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Liam Lawson, with only eleven Grands Prix under his belt, is Max Verstappen‘s new teammate. Therefore, McLaren sees a significant advantage that the British team has over two of its closest competitors.
“It’s clear that Kimi (Antonelli) is a rookie and that Liam, let’s say, is inexperienced rather than a rookie. I think from a constructors’ point of view, it will probably be a bigger challenge to run 24 races,” says McLaren CEO Brown. “They will inevitably have a few rookie weekends.” However, the American expects both Lawson and Antonelli to have a chance to win a race.
Hamilton
And what are Brown’s expectations for Lewis Hamilton, an experienced driver but one who is on the grid with a new team this year? “I certainly expect Lewis to be a contender for the drivers’ championship,” says Brown. “I think we and Ferrari ended last year with nothing between us. I think that will continue.”
