A 63-point lead over Max Verstappen is no reason for McLaren to no longer take the Red Bull driver seriously in the 2025 Formula 1 title fight. McLaren boss Zak Brown assured this before the USA Grand Prix in Austin.
Brown said: “Even though we would like to see it decided between our two drivers alone, Max is still fully involved.”
Along with McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, Mercedes driver George Russell and Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, Verstappen is one of the five drivers who, purely mathematically, still have a chance of winning the title. Realistically, however, the World Cup fight should be limited to Piastri and Norris – with Verstappen as the underdog.
McLaren remains true to its previous course
That’s why McLaren is staying true to its previous course, says Brown: “We’ll just carry on as before. Our strategy won’t change just because we won the constructors’ championship. We’ll approach the remaining race weekends in the same way as any other before.”
The 2025 season has proven that: McLaren won the constructors’ championship so early “because the team remained focused and humble,” says Brown. This should continue on the remaining race weekends until the end of the season.
“Because that’s what we’re here for,” Brown says. “We want to win races and championships. And we couldn’t be hungrier to do so.”
With its tenth title win in the Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship, McLaren is now in second place in the “all-time rankings” behind Ferrari – and ahead of Williams, with whom the team had previously shared second place. 2025 marks McLaren’s first successful title defense since 1990/91.