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Zak Brown

F1 to be 'unlike anything we've seen before' - Brown

McLaren CEO Zak Brown believes Formula 1 is set to reach an all-time high, once Max Verstappen's dominance finally comes to an end. Is the sport set for another popularity boom?

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Zak Brown is confident that the sport is set to become "unlike anything we've seen before" when Red Bull's Max Verstappen is finally caught.

Last season, the four teams that followed Red Bull in the Constructors' Championship had little to separate in terms of performance.

The performances of Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and Aston Martin were largely equal throughout the season, as highlighted in the number of podiums each side claimed.

Mercedes and Aston Martin secured eight podium finishes each, whilst Ferrari and McLaren both managed nine.

The one big difference was that Ferrari – who Lewis Hamilton is joining in 2025 – were the only outfit other than Red Bull to win a race as Carlos Sainz was victorious at the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix.

However, no team consistently compete with Red Bull or Verstappen, who cruised to a third-consecutive Drivers' Championship.

It's not expected that the Dutchman will be de-throned this year as Red Bull's large advantage last year saw it switch focus to its new car early on in the campaign.

Catching Verstappen the final hurdle

In Brown's eyes though, Red Bull and Verstappen being caught is the only thing stopping F1 from not only becoming less predictable but going to a completely new level.

“So I don't think Formula 1's ever been more competitive, and I think it's only going to get even more competitive,” predicted Brown, when speaking on the Speedcafe KTM Summer Grill.

“You had Max and the RB19 working their magic, which made the racing at the front a little more predictable than we'd all like it to be.

“But behind that, look at us, we were ninth quickest [at the start of the year] and ended up second quickest at the end of it.

“Then you had Aston Martin, second quickest [early on], then kind of dropped to fifth quickest and then made a comeback.

“The teams were amazing, so I think the sport is massively competitive, and I think once some of us catch this Max guy, Formula 1's going to be unlike anything we've seen before.”

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