Zak Brown: Sergio Perez's struggles will boost McLaren's title hopes

Following upgrades ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, McLaren has emerged as the fastest team on the grid with the MCL38 excelling in high, medium, and low-speed corners.

Despite their strong pace, McLaren's bid for championship contention has been hampered by internal issues, including driver errors and operational mishaps.

Complicating matters is Perez's recent form. Despite a contract extension, Perez's underwhelming performance, securing just 11 points over the last five races, has raised questions within Red Bull about his future.

In contrast, Max Verstappen's dominance with seven wins in 2024 underscores the pressure on Perez to deliver consistent results.

Zak Brown sees an opportunity amidst Perez's struggles, believing McLaren can exploit Red Bull's deliberations to their advantage.

Brown emphasises leveraging McLaren's technological advancements and strategic acumen to close the gap in the Constructors Championship standings.

"I think it's going to be dependent on Perez, at the end of the day," said Brown.

"You've got to assume that Max is going to be first, second or third at every race...

"Sergio Perez 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.

"So we're fully aware of it."

As McLaren looks ahead, their focus remains on maximising operational efficiency and minimizing errors to sustain their competitive edge.