McLaren CEO Zak Brown has reaffirmed that Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris will continue to enjoy equal status, even as Max Verstappen’s resurgence tightens the title fight. The stance reinforces McLaren’s long-stated approach: let both drivers race freely unless extraordinary circumstances require intervention.
Equal footing for Norris and Piastri
Brown’s message is clear—no artificial reshuffling, no early-season designations. McLaren will prioritise points maximisation through pace and strategy, not team orders. The policy has underpinned a harmonious driver pairing and has been central to the team’s momentum.
Managing the Verstappen factor
As Verstappen turns up the heat in the championship picture, there is pressure on rivals to streamline their efforts behind a single spearhead. McLaren’s refusal to do so signals confidence in both drivers’ capacity to deliver—and in the car’s competitiveness across circuits and conditions.
Reading the road ahead
- Strategic agility over diktats: pit calls and tyre offsets remain the main levers.
- Two-pronged attack: keeping both drivers in the fight can pressure rivals into errors.
- Cohesion counts: preserving trust within the garage guards against costly intra-team flashpoints.
Brown’s line in the sand suggests McLaren intends to win its battles on merit—and with both drivers unleashed.
