McLaren CEO, Zak Brown has vowed to give Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris “equal opportunity” in 2025 F1 title battle.
McLaren had dominated the season with at least one of their two drivers on the podium in 13 of 14 Grands Prix, with Piastri currently heading Norris by nine points in the drivers’ standings as F1 hits the summer shutdown.
With such an intense title battle between teammates not seen since the Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg days at Mercedes between 2014-16, Brown believes that McLaren “have the best driver line-up” which fills the team with “excitement” at their on-track battles.
“There’s nothing we like more than watching these guys battle it out. So may the best man win.”
In an open letter ahead of the shutdown, Brown addressed the challenge of handling on-track incidents like the alternative strategies in Hungary, which saw Norris edge Piastri out by 0.698 seconds at the checkered flag – having done an one-stop strategy to Piastri’s two-stopper.
“Of course, we recognise that incidents have happened and will happen again. It’s all about how well you’re prepared for those moments and how you deal with them.”
F1’s trip to Montreal saw McLaren lack their strong pace which left Piastri fending off Norris for fourth in the closing laps as the pair chased Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli, yet Norris crashed out at the start of lap 67 after he tried to pass the Aussie but the gap closed too late.
There was debate post-race over whether McLaren could of done a switch and then a swap back if Norris hadn’t been able to pass Antonelli by the end of the race, but Brown praised his team for their response and letting them have “equal opportunity” to battle on track.
“I think Montreal was a shining example of how well everyone handled the situation. We know the risk of not throwing our weight behind one driver, but we will give Oscar and Lando equal opportunity to fight it out on track to win the Drivers’ World Championship.”
Brown proceeded to hint that team orders won’t be utilised and that the title will be decided in a pure racing manner, even in spite of the potential for incidents.
“That’s exciting for us, and for the sport. We believe the benefits of racing this way far outweigh the consequences – despite the fact we know incidents can happen. I’m not naive.
“The adrenaline and pressure will rise, but the team will continue to work in harmony and manage the situations as they come. It’s shaping up to be a fantastic end to the year. I can’t wait to get back on track once the summer shutdown is over.”
Brown also paid tribute to the team off track as he applauded the positivity and focus but iterated that improvement is key to staying at the front of the field.
“If I take a step back and look at the team, I can see a lot of energy, a laser-sharp focus, and an incredible determination to succeed. But crucially, we must continue striving to be the very best we can be in the ultra-competitive world of Formula 1.
“We are always looking for ways to improve. The moment you rest on your laurels, any competitive edge you have can disappear in the blink of an eye. And when we look at the competition, we must remember that even our weakest rival is really damn good.
“We’re talking about milliseconds. So the secret to our success is to come together and never give up.”
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