After Friday's free practice, Zak Brown gave an interview to sky sports f1 Italy: Between fighting for both titles and the rear wing issue, here's how McLaren arrives at the Singapore GP.
Zak Brown, expectations for the Singapore GP
Free practice on Friday has given us one certainty: Ferrari and McLaren are the fastest teams on the streets of Marina Bay, with Charles Leclerc fastest in FP1 e Lando Norris instead in FP2.
In this regard, Zak Brown, CEO McLaren, declared after the first day of free practice in Singapore:
It looks like a fight between Lando and Charles, but it's always tricky to say that on Friday. It looks more like a Ferrari McLaren fight, I think it would be a mistake to leave Carlos and Oscar out of the fight already. Both teams look fast, but it would be a mistake to write off Red Bull and Mercedes, even if their Friday didn't seem as good as expected. Alpha Tauri was fast, like last year. So we'll see how it goes tomorrow.
Confirming the statements of the McLaren CEO are the words of Lando Norris, who judges the start of the weekend positive, aware of doing the right job.
Brown: “We offered to change it”
Another topic on the agenda in the F1 circuits is the rear wing of McLaren, which will have to change it. In this regard, Zak Brown has specified how they were the ones who offered:
It wasn't the FIA that asked us to change it, we offered. Obviously it was discussed in the paddock between Baku and here in Singapore, so we offered to make a change and they agreed to our request.
Although Red Bull said that this wing changed performance by 1/2 tenth, Brown did not want to elaborate, hiding the real help in performance:
I don't think we would have offered to make a change if we thought it would make a big difference.
Truth or communication strategy? We'll know at the next Grand Prix where the rear wing will have the same shape.
Fight for titles
McLaren and its drivers, mainly Lando Norris, are fighting for both titles. As for the drivers, regarding the Papaya Rules Brown said:
We will see how the race develops, what the positions will be. We will do everything possible to assist Lando in his fight for the title, without however damaging Oscar's race.
Having gone to the top of the constructors championship, every race is decisive. You must not make mistakes, as Zak explained well:
I think there are 3 teams fighting for the constructors. Considering the points in the standings, one race can change the situation. Obviously we feel good, but there are many races and developments, in addition to bad luck. I think it will be an exciting race until the end of the year.
