Button explains why Red Bull should be worried most about McLaren

2009 Formula 1 world-champion Jenson Button believes that Red Bull need to be looking over their shoulder at McLaren as the team that will challenge them next. 

Why does Button believe McLaren will be next to challenge Red Bull? 

Speaking on Sky Sports F1, Button had this to say about his former team: "When you look at the previous updates they've had, the correlation has been really good so they put it on the track and it does this as it says on the tin. That is quite unusual on a Formula 1 car. He's definitely got confidence in the correlation because he was very feisty in that press conference. We saw that pace in SQ2 and it was mighty, it really was. They're in a really good place once they get it all together, and they work out which bits work, and maybe some bits don't work with this big upgrade. They could be close to fighting with Red Bull. This is real."

McLaren are currently third in the constructors standings and have consolidated the gains they made during the 2023 Formula 1 season. They've managed to move ahead of their engine supplier, McLaren, and are seemingly preparing for a season-long battle with historic rivals Ferrari. But both Button and Martin Brundle expect them to be the team to make the step up to Red Bull.

Martin Brundle added: "They've got two great drivers. The team are really calm and mature and focused, and they've still yet to get their new wind tunnel on stream and what happens down the road but they are making really good, sensible steps forward and then I think when they do that they've got the confidence on the pit wall and the confidence behind the steering wheel to deliver some stunning results."

McLaren will line up 6th and 9th in the sprint race in Miami, with Oscar Piastri ahead of Lando Norris.