McLaren make bold F1 prediction after 'fairytale privilege'

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown does not believe Ferrari will be his team's only competition next season, as the Woking squad looks to defend its first F1 constructors' crown for 26 years.

After the papaya team's last triumph, in 1998, the Scuderia went on a six-season run atop the F1 constructors' standings, and the Italian outfit is best positioned to wrestle the trophy from McLaren in 12 months time.

Their championship battle went down to the wire in Abu Dhabi, with Lando Norris' victory instrumental in denying Ferrari a first constructors' title of its own since 2008.

Plagued by the difficult RB20 and Sergio Perez's wayward form, Red Bull could not remain in contention, despite Max Verstappen comfortably retaining his drivers' championship.

However, despite the "fairytale" ending to the year, Brown insists there will be a deeper field of rivals to hold off next term.

In addition to Red Bull and Mercedes, the American is refusing to "rule out" further adrift teams "getting in the game" as the pack becomes increasingly close at the end of the current rules cycle.

McLaren is the only one of the leading four teams not making a driver line-up change heading into the final year of the regulations set.

Ferrari has strengthened by adding seven-time F1 drivers' champion Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes, who in turn has promoted exciting protégé Kimi Antonelli to partner George Russell.

Red Bull, meanwhile, has been successful in pulling Perez from the race seat alongside Verstappen, with Liam Lawson moving up from Racing Bulls.

"It's a pretty awesome line-up," Brown said of Ferrari's new pairing when speaking to Sky Sports F1. "It's definitely a strong one."

Reflecting on McLaren's title fight with the Italian team, he added: "And Ferrari is such an iconic team, it's fairytale stuff. If you could say 'who do you want to come down to the last race, the last lap racing?', it would be Ferrari. It's the most iconic team in the history of motorsport, not just Formula 1, so it was a privilege to race them until the end.

"Carlos [Sainz] and Charles [Leclerc] is a pretty awesome line-up, so is Lewis and Charles, and Max punches above his weight... George Russell's awesome and I expect Kimi Antonelli, just like Oscar [Piastri] and Lando, to be awesome, so those are the obvious competitors.

"But I also think, with how competitive the sport is, I wouldn't rule out some other teams getting in the game."