Lando Norris
McLaren
Mercedes
Red Bull
Ferrari
Williams
Racing Bulls
Aston Martin
Haas
Alpine
McLaren have dramatically improved this season and are now leading the Constructors’ Championship ahead of the final three rounds.
The British team have endured a very difficult run over the past few years but began to move in the right direction with podium finishes in 2023.
Zak Brown has overseen their improvement over the past couple of seasons as McLaren have broken free from the midfield to become consistent frontrunners.
McLaren are on the verge of their first Constructors’ title since Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard in 1998 when they usurped Ferrari.
Red Bull started the year with the fastest car but endured a difficult summer as Max Verstappen’s victory in Brazil was his first since June’s Spanish Grand Prix.
Sergio Perez has struggled at the Austrian team and Brown explained to Auto Motor und Sport how the Mexican can begin to improve.
Zak Brown advises Sergio Perez to ‘release his inner brake’ for Red Bull to threaten McLaren
Perez hasn’t been able to match his teammate Verstappen on a consistent basis since they joined forces in 2021.
He has had some good results, such as winning in Monaco in 2022, but this season has been a struggle for the Red Bull driver.
The Mexican hasn’t scored a podium since April’s Chinese Grand Prix, and Perez is clinging onto his Red Bull seat.
Verstappen’s teammate has floundered for much of the year and Red Bull now sit third in the standings behind McLaren and Ferrari.
Brown is confident Perez can score podium finishes but is hampered by some mental aspects which may be hurting his performance. The McLaren CEO also feels Perez is holding Red Bull back to help Ferrari emerge as his team’s biggest threat.
He said: “Of course, I want to win at least one of the two titles. But the manufacturers’ title will be tough too. Ferrari look very strong. They give me more headaches than Red Bull. But we can’t write them off. Red Bull is an incredibly strong team.
“Perez has shown that he is capable of making the podium. He just needs to release his inner brake and things will get tight again very quickly. This battle will go to the end. Things are not looking good in the drivers’ championship.
“If we lose it, it will have happened at the beginning and not in Silverstone or Monza. And also not because we swapped places between Lando and Oscar in Hungary.”
Sergio Perez has struggled this season at Red Bull and cost the team points
Perez started the season well, and the Mexican finished second in the opening two rounds behind his teammate Verstappen.
His form has since dropped and his last podium came at the Chinese Grand Prix in April. Perez is also yet to win a race this year with three rounds to go.
Perez hasn’t finished in the top five since the Miami Grand Prix, although he did experience a brief upturn in form in Azerbaijan.
He was on target for a podium finish before Perez crashed with Carlos Sainz in Baku on the last lap, forcing them both to retire.
Perez is under pressure and may not be at Red Bull next season despite having a year left on his contract at the Austrian team.
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