Q: Zak, I feel we should start with you. Constructors' Champions again. How were the celebrations back at the MTC?
Zak Brown: They were great. Very proud of our racing team. It was important. Of course, we did a little bit of celebrating at the race, but what was most important is that we did it with all the men and women at McLaren, back at the factory. Because, of course, the racing team does a wonderful job, but they couldn't do it without everyone back at the MTC. So it was a great celebration. Had both drivers there and then quickly followed up with a family day, which was really cool to get the extended families out, who are part of the racing team as well. So, it was a very good week.
Q: Now you won the Constructors' last year at the final race. It's in the bag this year with six races still to go. How does that affect the intensity levels in the garage here this weekend?
ZB: It doesn't. It's business as usual. We've been racing everyone hard. Our two drivers have been racing each other hard since Australia, and that hasn't changed. So great to get the Constructors' done, but it doesn't change how we go racing at all.
Q: Nice segue, Zak. Now that the Constructors' Championship is in the bag, does it change anything in the way you go racing with the drivers?
ZB: No. Definitely not. We're just business as usual.
Q: So when the drivers yesterday were talking about repercussions, consequences for something, for example, like what happened in Singapore, what do they mean by that? Can you give us some examples of what those consequences might be?
ZB: You know, we set out at the beginning of the year how we want to race and how we want to race each other. The 'Papaya Rules', which everyone likes to talk about, is pretty much one rule: don't touch each other and don't run each other off the track. So it's quite simple, and it's kind of taken on a bit of a life of its own. We just want to make sure that while they're racing hard, they don't come together. That puts them at risk, puts the team at risk. So we agreed with them in the off-season how we would handle certain situations. It was a pretty minor incident - the start of a Grand Prix, it's pretty chaotic, it was a damp track, so it clearly wasn't intentional. And so, we work through different consequences for different situations. It was a pretty minor situation, so it's a pretty minor consequence.
Q: Can you share some consequences of what you mean by that?
ZB: No. We don't want to get into that. I think, you know, that's private business between us. I know everyone's interested to know, but both drivers are in a great place. We just want to set them up to continue to be able to race each other hard. It's not easy having two number one drivers. Toto's done it before, and I think Laurent will - he's fresh in his role. But, you know, we want to have both drivers competing for the championship, and with that comes challenges that are more difficult than if you had a one and two driver, which we've seen over the years. We're racers. We like to see them race, but we don't like to see them touch each other.
Q: Do you see this Drivers' Championship as an intra-team battle, exclusively between your guys, or do you think Max is still in it?
ZB: No. Definitely not. Max is very much in the game. I think it would be a big mistake to think Max wasn't part of this Drivers' Championship right now.
Q: Laurent, can I bring you in on that point? Max's chances of the Drivers' Championship - do you think he's still in it?
Laurent Mekies: I'm going to disappoint you a bit. The simple truth inside the team is we simply take it race by race. I know it sounds like something you would just say in this room, but if you walk into our engineering room now, nobody talks about that - neither before the Grand Prix nor after the weekend. We only talk about this race. Actually, we only talk about the next session. That's where the intensity goes to. Then, things will come as a result of that. So, as Zak said, you don't change your approach to racing because of where you stand in the championships or because of where your chances stand. You go out there. It's difficult enough to feel on Sunday night that you have nailed everything out of your car for that weekend, and that's where everyone's energy is focused on.
Q: Max said yesterday he rated his chances as 50/50. Can you put a number on it?
LM: No, I won't put a number on it. But I don't think it changes anything to the way we are going racing. We love pure racing. So we go to a race weekend like here in Austin, and there are probably four teams that can win the race on Sunday. And it's going to be down to the last half a tenth, a tenth between making pole or being on the third row and only scoring very few points. We are focused on that. And the percentage really doesn't change much for us.
Q: After the upgrade that you introduced in Singapore, do you think you have a car that can challenge for the win at every race going forward to Abu Dhabi?
LM: I think that's fair to say. We think we have enough potential in the car now to be in the fight on most tracks going forward. Now, it doesn't mean that we will be able to win, but it probably means that if we do nail everything, extract everything out of the car on a given track, then we think we will be able to fight for the win. It doesn't mean that we are able to do that every race weekend. It doesn't mean that we won't get beaten by Toto, Zak, or Fred on any race weekend, but it means we should be in that group that fights for the win.
Q: Toto, let's throw it forward. 2026 - the driver lineup is confirmed. Was it an easy decision in the end?
Toto Wolff: It was always the decision that we took from the get-go. It was the lineup that we chose last year. We knew that George can hold up the leadership role in there. It's been really great, and Kimi is in a learning year. So going forward, it was pretty much a no-brainer.
Q: It has been a learning year for Kimi. It's been up and down. Have you ever doubted that he was going to get there?
TW: Never. When you look at his junior record, his personality, there's no doubt in me or within the team that it was the wrong decision to take and give him the opportunity.
Q: Quick question on performance. You won last time out. How do you see these last six races? Do you think you've overcome some of the shortcomings of this car and can challenge for wins at every race now?
TW: It's a little bit like Laurent said. This season is a surprise box. Zak and McLaren have had a fantastic season and were absolutely dominant, and then most recently had a bit of a dip - having said that, constantly up in the front. But between Red Bull, McLaren, Mercedes, and to a certain degree Ferrari, it's pretty unpredictable what to expect from any given week. Certainly, we didn't expect to be relatively dominant on Sunday in Singapore.
Questions From The Floor
Q: (Stuart Codling - Autosport) Question for all three of you. A couple of hours ago, there was a press conference in this very room. Three people sat where you're sitting - not as neatly lined up in height order as you are - and talked about the new Apple TV deal with Formula 1. The big claim that came from it is that they're targeting exponential growth in the US audience. So I was wondering how realistic you think that would be?
ZB: I think it's very realistic. I think it'll take time. They had a fantastic movie, which I think kind of whet their appetite, if you'd like. If you think about the reach of the different platforms they have and the technology that they have - and we're in a very technology-driven sport - there's a lot of enthusiasm. Eddie Cue, who's one of the big bosses there, has a lot of passion for Formula 1. That always helps. That passion drives an organisation forward. So I'm quite excited knowing all the different applications they have in which they can deploy Formula 1 - not just at the race weekend, but as they said earlier, kind of 24/7 around all their different channels and technologies. So I think it's going to be quite exciting. We're going to work with them closely and excited to see what next year looks like.
TW: Definitely believe this is going to be a big boost for us - not only in the United States, but also all around the world. Apple News is the biggest news feed, and when you have the buy-in from senior leaders, like Eddie and his people, then we're in a good place. It doesn't go much better than Apple. Like Zak said, throughout the devices - watches, phones - that everybody has, and I believe this is a great success for Formula 1 to have that deal. And I believe also for Apple, it's going to yield the results they expect.
LM: On the same line here, really - we think it's realistic. If you speak with them, you will probably leave the room also thinking that it's realistic. The reach is going to be incredible, and it's exciting for the teams. We have been trying to engage with the US fan base for so many years, and we feel it has picked up so well in the last few years. And then suddenly you discover a completely new land and new potentials with this deal with Apple. Certainly, our team has many American partners now, and it's very important that we continue to grow in this market as a sport, and it's super exciting for the fans.
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