Zak Brown makes ‘realistic’ statement for 2025 F1 season after McLaren title win

The Woking-based team claimed their first constructors’ title since 1998 with victory last year

Zak Brown believes “every team will have made progress” over the winter break as McLaren boss looked ahead to defending their F1 constructors’ title in 2025.

The Woking-based team claimed their first teams’ championship since 1998 as they fought off a late challenge from Ferrari to seal the trophy at the final race of the 2024 season in Abu Dhabi.

McLaren launched their 2025 car – the MCL39 – at Silverstone on Thursday with a camouflage design, ahead of the full livery reveal at the 2025 season launch at The O2 Arena in London on Tuesday.

As excitement builds towards the first race of the season – the Australian Grand Prix on 16 March – Brown conceded that McLaren must be “realistic” in anticipating improvements from their rivals this year.

He said in a McLaren press release: “Today is a big milestone in our journey in the fight for the 2025 title, it’s great to get our championship challenger, the MCL39, on track for the first time and to launch the culmination of the team’s hard work.

“We must be realistic that every team will have made progress over the winter. Last year highlighted just how much the grid has closed up, which is a brilliant thing for the sport.

“We believe we have made further steps forward since the championship-winning MCL38 but we won’t know where we sit in the standings until we get into qualifying in Australia.

McLaren have unveiled their 2025 F1 car with a special livery at Silverstone on Thursday (McLaren F1)

Zak Brown is targeting more success with McLaren in 2025 (Getty Images)

“We’re a team that never stops racing and we’ll be giving it our all to bring both championships back to Woking.”

McLaren claimed the constructors’ championship by 14 points to Ferrari last year, with Red Bull finishing third despite Max Verstappen winning the drivers’ title.

In the end, Lando Norris finished 63 points behind Verstappen in the individual standings but will be eyeing another championship challenge this year.

Following Thursday’s promotional filming day at Silverstone, Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri will next be behind the wheel at the official pre-season test in Bahrain on 26-28 February.