McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has addressed how the team is handling the fiercely competitive drivers’ championship duel between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri during the current Formula 1 season. As the summer break approaches, Brown emphasized that the Woking-based outfit ensures fairness in sharing car upgrades to avoid any off-track tension between the two drivers while keeping the competition fierce on the track.
Transparency and fairness at the heart of McLaren’s approach
Brown explained that McLaren maintains full transparency with both Norris and Piastri, particularly when it comes to distributing upgrades. If an upgrade is available for only one car during a race weekend, the team openly communicates the reasons behind the decision to both drivers. This approach helps prevent misunderstandings and resentment.
“It’s all about transparency, being fair, being equitable,”
Brown shared during an appearance on How Leaders Lead with David Novak.
“When we have upgrades on the car and we can only give it to one driver for a race because two aren’t ready, we tell them why. We don’t let them find out by reading, ‘Oh, he’s got a new front wing, I don’t.’”
“So we give them the rationale. We keep scores. ‘Hey, next time we get a new development.’ Or we are in a position where one driver gets the benefit, the other can’t, we keep score.”
Championship standings and battle dynamics after the first half of the season
As the Formula 1 summer break begins, only nine points separate the two McLaren drivers, with Oscar Piastri holding a slender lead of 284 points over Norris. Outside of a single race-ending collision at the Canadian Grand Prix, where Norris attempted an overly optimistic move and had to retire from the race, the two have maintained a mostly clean and respectful rivalry on track. Brown believes this competitive dynamic will continue to play out without causing any off-track discord.
Brown praised both drivers for their professionalism and character, describing them as not only among the fastest in Formula 1 but also respectful and well-mannered individuals. He attributes much of their behavior to the upbringing provided by their parents, highlighting the importance of their backgrounds in shaping their attitude.
“They are good guys,”
Brown said.
“We are very fortunate. We definitely have the best driver line-up which has been proven now that they are not only two of the fastest drivers in the world, the two are really good guys, they are very competitive, they are very respectful.”
Continuing on the role of their upbringing, Brown added that keeping communication open and ensuring the drivers enjoy their work helps defuse any potential tension. He stressed that past experiences with other drivers have allowed McLaren to better detect and handle any underlying issues before they escalate.
Handling rivalry openly to avoid buildup of tension
Brown does not shy away from acknowledging how difficult such intense competition can be, but McLaren confronts it head-on. The CEO expects the title fight to become even more challenging as the season continues, with other competitors closing the gap, meaning the contest will not be limited to just Norris and Piastri. Despite the pressure, Brown remains confident in the team’s ability to manage the rivalry positively.
“But if everything goes according to them it will be [just the two of them]. They usually end in tears, but it’s not with us and we are not afraid of it. We talk about it. It’s not the elephant in the room.”