With Lando Norris having shaken off his inability to win from pole position, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown now sees a similar storyline developing around Charles Leclerc. Brown attributes Leclerc’s struggles to convert pole positions into victories to the limitations of the Ferrari car rather than a reflection of Leclerc’s talent.

Since 2019, Leclerc has established himself as one of Formula 1’s top talents, known especially for his speed over a single lap. His recent pole position in Hungary showcased this strength, marking Ferrari’s first pole of the 2025 season. However, Leclerc’s success rate in turning pole positions into Grand Prix wins remains low, with only five wins from 27 poles, a statistic noted by Oliver Harden of PlanetF1.com.

Brown emphasized that Leclerc’s difficulty in winning from pole does not detract from his ability. Instead, it highlights how well Leclerc can maximize the car’s performance in qualifying, despite the race pace limitations of the Ferrari.

“Because there’s another stat out there from [Charles Leclerc], who I’m a big fan of, who’s not won that many races from pole, and I don’t think that’s anything on him,”

—Zak Brown, McLaren Racing CEO

“I think that’s how awesome he is over a lap and maybe can carry a car over a lap that doesn’t have the ultimate race pace.”

Brown’s remarks suggest that the narrative blaming Leclerc for underperformance when starting from pole should shift focus toward the car’s shortcomings.

Comparing narratives: Lando Norris’s turnaround versus Leclerc’s ongoing challenge

Previously, much attention centered on Lando Norris’s difficulties converting pole positions into wins, a storyline now put to rest following his strong performance in 2025. Norris has earned four race victories from pole this season, showcasing a significant improvement in his race starts.

Brown celebrated Norris’s improved form, observing that the driver is in one of the best phases of his career. He made a light-hearted reference to the past critique of Norris’s struggles from pole, remarking that it has faded away now that Norris is winning regularly.

“never seen him in a better place”

—Zak Brown

“a time Lando couldn’t win from pole, according to the world”

—Zak Brown

“Now that he’s won four or five races from pole, no one seems to be talking about that,”

—Zak Brown

“I think you guys should write about that.”

—Zak Brown

Brown points out how quickly such narratives fade once a driver overturns a negative statistic, contrasting this with ongoing criticism aimed at Leclerc despite his undeniable speed on single laps.

McLaren’s intense title fight keeps driver dynamics strong

As Norris battles teammate Oscar Piastri for the 2025 Drivers’ Championship, just nine points separate the pair with ten races remaining. This close duel has been largely marked by professionalism and mutual respect, even after a rare on-track collision in Canada, which Norris took responsibility for promptly, easing potential tensions.

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella highlighted the solid foundation supporting this competition and insisted the rivalry would not harm the team’s overall harmony. He stressed that their racing philosophy had been established collectively with contributions from both drivers.

“I think there may be a natural increase of what could be a sense of pressure because the races reduce in number and every race will become, relatively, slightly more important,”

—Andrea Stella, McLaren Team Principal

Stella also noted the ongoing improvement in the relationship between Norris and Piastri, crediting intentional efforts to build strong partnerships within the team.

“So, I think this is a very robust framework, and this will be more and more important as the marginal value of every race increases as we get closer to the end of the season.”

—Andrea Stella

“If anything, the relationship between Oscar and Lando keeps improving. This is not the effect of a random evolution. This is because we invest in relationships.”

—Andrea Stella

He described such relationships as crucial to team success, likening their importance to technical factors like aerodynamics.

Reflecting on McLaren’s 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix, Stella explained how the team analyzed incidents constructively to grow and maintain a solid collaborative environment.

“Once again, I’m a lucky team principal because the two drivers are very reasonable, very fair, very correct, humble, and above all, they understand that we are here not only to pursue our interest in the present but also to protect the future of their own careers and of McLaren Racing.”

—Andrea Stella

This mindset positions McLaren well as they pursue a first World Championship for either Norris or Piastri amidst intense competition.

Current standings underscore McLaren’s tightly contested battle

PlanetF1.com reports closely tracked qualifying and race results show Norris and Piastri are neck and neck in multiple performance metrics in 2025. This dynamic ensures the title race will remain unpredictable through the remainder of the season, adding a compelling subplot to Formula 1’s championship battle.

While Leclerc’s struggles from pole stand out against his clear qualifying speed, the progress of McLaren’s drivers illustrates how momentum and team environment can influence performance outcomes dramatically.

Implications for future race outcomes and team narratives

Zak Brown’s defense of Charles Leclerc shifts the focus away from blaming the driver for underwhelming race results from pole position and instead highlights Ferrari’s current race pace limitations. This perspective may temper criticism of Leclerc while emphasizing the broader challenges Ferrari faces this season.

Meanwhile, McLaren’s successful management of intense internal competition between Norris and Piastri presents a model of driver harmony in a high-pressure championship fight. Their teamwork and mutual respect could prove decisive as the season reaches its climax.

Looking ahead, the evolving narratives around qualifying success translating into race wins will continue to shape commentary around leading drivers like Leclerc, Norris, and Piastri. The ability of teams to provide competitive race cars and maintain strong internal relationships will be crucial factors determining who ultimately triumphs in 2025.