Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren, highlighted that the team's resurgence before the summer break was crucial for boosting the confidence of their star driver Lando Norris. McLaren's significant progress, thanks to upgrades introduced at the Austrian Grand Prix, led to podium finishes for Norris in subsequent races at Silverstone and Hungary.
McLaren started the season in a challenging position but managed to climb the competitive ladder, positioning themselves as the next best team behind the dominant Red Bull going into the summer break. This progress has been reassuring for Norris, who has been under contract with McLaren until 2025. Speculation about Norris considering other teams had arisen due to McLaren's past struggles in competing at the front of the F1 grid since his arrival in 2019.
Brown emphasized the importance of Norris witnessing these positive results, stating, "It shows we can do it. That being said, we haven't won one with [Norris] yet. He loves McLaren, it's been his family, so there's no doubt in my mind that his number one choice is to win a world championship with McLaren."
Brown has been working on restructuring McLaren's organization behind the scenes. Andrea Stella replaced former team boss Andreas Seidl, and Stella has overseen the restructuring of the technical department. Technical boss James Key left earlier in the year and was succeeded by a new committee, which will eventually include personnel from Ferrari and Red Bull.
The team has also recently opened its own wind tunnel in Woking, relieving them of the need to use Toyota's facility in Cologne, Germany.
Brown expressed confidence in the team's direction, saying, "We have everything we need from resources, people, two great drivers, all the technology, infrastructure. As long as [Norris] continues to see our pace and development then I think he'll have all the confidence in the world that this team's won 20 world championships and have everything they need."
Brown highlighted that the 2026 season, with its significant rule changes, is a key focus, and McLaren is set to meet the challenge head-on. He emphasized that the team's story and progress are comparable to any other team on the grid, considering the unknown variables that the rule changes will bring to the competition.