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McLaren F1 CEO Zak Brown believes the demand for the race in Miami is huge. The American claimed he had never seen such a demand for F1 in North America during his tenure so far in the sport, and is expecting the Miami GP to be as good as the Super Bowl.
Speaking to Reuters about the newly-added race in the US, Brown said:
“It’s going to be awesome. I’ve been here six years and I’ve never seen demand or buzz for a grand prix like I’ve seen for Miami. We can easily double our hospitality and we are already the largest hospitality buyer in Miami…it rivals the Super Bowl as far as ‘are you going to the Miami race?”
Brown revealed that his team is the largest hospitality buyer due to the surreal demand at the Miami GP. During his six-year tenure in the sport, the Woking-based team's chief claimed he had never seen such a demand for any race.
Comparing the race to the Super Bowl, the Brown said:
“I’ve been around F1 for 20 years and I’m used to going to grands prix but I’ve never seen anything like it. Having been around the Super Bowl, where there’s the football game and then there’s the half-time celebs and shows, this feels like the Super Bowl.”
Ex-F1 champion believes McLaren has fired a warning shot with their performance in Imola
Former F1 champion Emerson Fittipaldi believes the Woking-based team has warned their rivals with their latest result at Imola. The Brazilian-American cited McLaren's age in performance above the other Mercedes-powered cars on the grid, with similar Mercedes engines and a more stable chassis. He believes the British champions will be extremely competitive by the Monaco GP and feels they will only improve in the next few races.
Speaking to Vegas Insider about the Woking-based team’s current performance, Fittipaldi said:
“I think McLaren, talking to Zak Brown, McLaren is working hard to develop. The new rules, the new car, I think they've improved. I think you can see, normally, they're the most consistent Mercedes engine car. They’re always ahead in the positions of other Mercedes engines (cars). That means the chassis is not bad, the mechanics are not bad. Mercedes has improved the engine. I think working in the same direction, they are going to improve for sure.”
Predicting their future in the sport, the ex-F1 champion said:
“I think McLaren will be more and more competitive at every new grand prix. I would say after Monaco, they should be extremely competitive. This is my personal opinion. McLaren started on the third row of cars (at Imola). That means they’re good, they’re fast and they’re consistent cars.”
The current points haul from Imola places the Papaya Orange team fourth in the constructors’ standings, 31 points behind Mercedes. With their performance issues resolved, one can expect their car to develop further in the races after the Italian circuit.
