After an exciting Azerbaijan Grand Prix, it looks like almost half the teams in Formula 1 are now in the running for race wins.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown, whose driver Lando Norris is currently Max Verstappen’s main rival for the championship, says this season has been the most thrilling he has witnessed in his eight years in F1.
In the last eight races, there have been six different winners from four different teams. Although Verstappen, who was dominant in 2022 and 2023, is still at the top of the standings, his most recent victory was in June.
“I think this is the best season I can remember since I’ve been in Formula 1,” Brown told The Associated Press during the IndyCar season finale at Nashville Superspeedway in Tennessee.
He believes this season might even surpass the 2021 battle between Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, which ended on the last lap of the season and contributed to F1’s rise in popularity on Netflix. Brown thinks the current season could be even better.
“That was incredibly exciting, but it was just two drivers. Now, you have four strong teams competing in every race,” he said.
“To have four teams capable of winning any weekend, and with Sergio Perez also showing strong form, it’s hard to predict which of the four teams or eight drivers might come out on top. I can’t remember a time in Formula 1 with this much competitiveness.”
The action continued non-stop on Sunday.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri won in Baku, after making a bold pass on Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Perez was in contention for Red Bull until he collided with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr., which allowed Mercedes driver George Russell to finish in third.
Further back, Norris moved up from 15th on the grid to finish fourth, just ahead of Verstappen, and made a dent in the champion’s lead in the standings.
The performance of the teams varies from week to week due to upgrades, track conditions, and changes in setup, like the issues Verstappen blamed for his performance in Azerbaijan.
