McLaren send Red Bull 'toe-to-toe' title warning

Zak Brown insists McLaren is prepared to fight Red Bull for the constructors' championship, but that it does not need to resort to underhand tactics in order to do so.

The McLaren Racing CEO feels his team can win by competing in its "own way" and has moved to distance his squad from the "win at all costs mentality" adopted by rivals Red Bull.

The Woking-based outfit has taken has established itself as the reigning champion's primary competitor, and if current points-scoring form were to continue the Papaya team would overtake Red Bull in the constructors' standing by the end of the year.

"We're prepared to go toe-to-toe," the 52-year-old told media including RacingNews365 when asked if McLaren was ready to battle in that manner and even fight a bit nasty if required.

"Nasty is not our McLaren goes racing. But I think you can go toe-to-toe but you don't have to be nasty about it. 

"They [Red Bull] seem to at times have a win-at-all-costs mentality. That's not how we go racing. But we think you can go toe-to-toe and take the fight to them our own way."

McLaren title charge dependent upon Perez

Part of McLaren's title charge is contingent upon the recent poor form of Red Bull's Sergio Perez, who has scored a mere 15 points in the five rounds prior to the British Grand Prix.

That is factored into Brown's thinking when weighing up whether his team will be able to sustain a season-long fight against Red Bull.

"Yeah," the American replied when asked by RacingNews365 whether being able to win the constructors' championship this term was in his considerations for the second-half of the year.

"I think it's going to be dependent upon [Sergio] Perez, at the end of the day, because you've just got to assume Max [Verstappen] is going to be first, second or third at every race, the balance of the year - probably more first than thirds. 

"Sergio underperforming is what's opening the window for us. I think, if we have the same points gain we've had the last six races the balance of the year, we'd get the job done."