Zak Brown has admitted to being shocked by McLaren's competitive performance in the Formula One world championship this season.
McLaren sit just 42 points adrift of Red Bull in the Constructors' Championship, with lead driver Lando Norris also second to Max Verstappen in the standings.
The team have achieved podium finishes in their last 10 races, and they are well placed to challenge across the back half of the campaign.
Brown, however, was not expecting such success so soon.
"If I were to sit here and say I'm not surprised, that would be disingenuous," Brown told BBC Sport.
"Red Bull had such an advantage over everyone and Mercedes has been so dominant.
"I felt like we'd continue to close the gap. Did I think we would be here at the summer break, one race away from getting the lead?
"That race would have to be first and second and fastest lap, and do I think it's going to happen like that? No. But if we keep the same trajectory we've been on the last six, seven races, we'll be where we need to be by the end of the year.
"I thought we might get where we are now by 2025. I didn't think we would be where we are now in 2024. But I'm not complaining."
Both Norris and Oscar Piastri have claimed their maiden race wins this season indicative of an increasingly competitive McLaren.
Brown credits team principal Andrea Stella, who was appointed ahead of the 2023 season, for the growing success.
"He unlocked the talent that we already had here," Brown said. "We've got approximately 1,000 people here in F1. I changed three. But it was three leaders. So, 997 are the same people who gave us the [uncompetitive] car at the beginning of 2023.
"A leader's job is to get the most out of their people and that's what we didn't have previously. We weren't able to let the talent we have in here flourish.
"Andrea communicates very well. He listens very well. He's very hard-working. He's very technical. He leads by example. All the traits you would want in a great leader. He unlocked the potential this team clearly had sitting there."
While Piastri continued McLaren's podium success at the Belgian Grand Prix, Norris could not make gains in the driver standings despite Verstappen having to deal with a 10-place grid penalty.
He finished fifth, one place behind Red Bull’s reigning champion. Brown, however, sees these experiences as a learning curve for everyone.
"We've all made a variety of errors, which to me are learning experiences," he reflected.
"I thought [Mercedes team principal] Toto [Wolff] was accurate with his comment. He said: 'Well, sometimes you figure these things out once they've kind of been put on your plate.'
"So if I look at the mistakes we've made - whether those are drivers or us, kinda doesn't matter; we're one team - we wouldn't make these mistakes again. We're learning. And I think maybe because we have got where we are quicker than we thought, it shows we still have learning to do.
"Lando is trying to fight for a world championship. He's going for it. He's learning, as are we. So I'm not concerned about it."
'Bargain' Newey worth every penny to Aston Martin, says owner Stroll
Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll insisted the capture of legendary designer Adrian Newey was a "bargain" after confirming his arrival at the team on Tuesday.
Newey, who announced he would leave Red Bull in May, has put pen to paper on a reported £30million deal, signing on as Managing Technical Director and shareholder.
The 65-year-old has designed cars that have won 25 drivers' and constructors' championships for Williams, McLaren and Red Bull.
Newey was responsible for producing the most dominant car ever seen in the competition, with Red Bull winning 21 of the 22 races during the 2023 season.
Newey will stay with the reigning constructors' champions for the first quarter of 2025 though, officially joining Aston Martin on March 1 next year.
“I can tell you Adrian is a bargain,” Stroll said. “I’ve been in business for 40 years now and I’ve never been more certain.”
After challenging to break into the traditional top four last season, Aston Martin have struggled to find consistent performances on the track this term.
They finished on 280 points and ended up fifth in the constructors' standings last year, just 22 points behind Mercedes.
While they are again in that position this season, they have managed just 74 points from the first 16 races, with their highest finish coming at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix when Fernando Alonso finished in fifth back in March.
Newey's arrival at Aston Martin is the latest in a string of big-name technical appointments, with Mercedes power unit chief Andy Cowell and Ferrari technical director Enrico Cardile also joining the team.
And Stroll believes that Newey, along with the other additions, can help Aston Martin challenge once again at the top end of the grid.
“Adrian is key, key, key, and the biggest part of the puzzle, certainly from a technical point of view, from a technical leadership point of view,” said Stroll.
“He will be leading the team and I think that will have a trickle-down effect through the whole organisation.”
Aston Martin 'the team of the future' after Newey arrival, says Alonso
Fernando Alonso believes the arrival of legendary designer Adrian Newey means Aston Martin are "the team of the future" in Formula One.
On Tuesday, Aston Martin confirmed Newey had signed on as managing technical director and also become a team shareholder, with his annual salary reported to be £30million.
Newey's departure from Red Bull was confirmed in May after his relationship with team principal Christian Horner came under strain, though he will stay with the constructors' champions through the first quarter of 2025 to work on their RB17 car.
Newey has designed 14 championship-winning cars throughout stints with Williams, McLaren and Red Bull, and Alonso believes his arrival bodes well for Aston Martin's future.
"We've been racing against each other for many years," Alonso said as Newey was unveiled at Aston Martin's headquarters on Tuesday.
"I would say he has been more an inspiration and I think thanks to Adrian and his talent and cars, we all got better as drivers, as engineers, as teams, you know, we all had to raise the bar thanks to him to be able to compete.
"Today is an incredible day for the team. Lawrence Stroll's vision is taking shape with this building, with Adrian, Honda, with Aramco, a new wind tunnel...
"It's definitely the team of the future I would say. For me, it's going to be an incredible professional opportunity to work with Adrian and to keep working with this green colour which I'm very proud to be part of."
Newey is also excited by the prospect of working with Alonso, revealing the two-time world champion came close to joining him at Red Bull 15 years ago.
"Fernando of course... We've battled against each other for so many years," Newey said. "He's been a bit of an archenemy at times.
"We came so close to him joining Red Bull for the 2009 season but unfortunately it didn't quite happen, which is a great shame.
"So we continued to battle against each other. He's a legend of the sport, so I'm very much looking forward to working with him."
Aston Martin announce signing of legendary designer Newey
Aston Martin have announced that legendary designer Adrian Newey will join their team from March 2025.
Newey has signed on as Managing Technical Director and is a shareholder in the team, in a deal worth up to £30million.
The 65-year-old's exit from Red Bull was confirmed in May after an apparent breakdown in his relationship with team principal Christian Horner.
Newey will stay with the reigning constructors' champions for the first quarter of 2025 though, to see out his work on the RB17, the company's first hypercar.
"I am thrilled to be joining the Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1 Team," Newey said.
"I have been hugely inspired and impressed by the passion and commitment that [team owner] Lawrence [Stroll] brings to everything he is involved with.
"Lawrence is determined to create a world-beating team. He is the only majority team owner who is actively engaged in the sport.
"His commitment is demonstrated in the development of the new AMR Technology Campus and wind tunnel at Silverstone, which are not only state of the art but have a layout that creates a great environment to work in.
"Together with great partners like Honda and Aramco, they have all the key pieces of infrastructure needed to make Aston Martin a world championship-winning team, and I am very much looking forward to helping reach that goal."
The move will see Newey working with two-time world champion Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, the team owner's son.
Newey has designed 14 championship-winning Formula 1 cars across stints with Williams, McLaren and Red Bull.
Aston Martin will be hoping he can do so again for the 2026 season, which will see the introduction of new regulations.
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