Zak Brown confirms his strategy with his drivers

Zak Brown, Stable Manager McLaren, enjoys an embarrassing luxury… he has not one, but two drivers capable of fighting for the ultimate title in Formula 1 : the Drivers' World Championship. In this situation, some directors decide to deliberately favor one of their two athletes in order to avoid the dispute being settled on track and wasting important points for the Constructors' Championship. Others, like Zak Brown, flee the choice and hope that the tarmac will be a merciful judge of peace with its stable, although he is fully aware that by betting on two roosters, the fight is inevitable...

Last year, even though it was not admitted by the team, Lando Norris seemed to have the status of No. 1 driver, given his superior performance compared toOscar piastri. In 2025, the trend has reversed and the British is in more difficulty, while his teammate, with Olympian calm, astounds with his consistency. Even Max Verstappen, third in the standings and the only driver able to shake McLaren's domination so far, praises the Oceanian's form: " Oscar Piastri has a very calm approach, and I like that. He delivers when needed. ", declared the Dutchman to the microphone of Sky Sports.

For his part, Zak Brown made comments that should hardly reassure Lando Norris: " I'm here to tell everyone that Oscar is only going to get stronger. ", declared the Californian on the microphone of F1TV after the Jeddah race.

An inevitable battle at McLaren according to Brown

After the first five rounds of the season, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri lead the drivers' standings. The Australian is ahead of the Briton, having won three of the five races, while The Englishman was only victorious in the inaugural race in MelbourneHowever, the gap between the two drivers is only 10 points (99 to 89).

« We have two number one drivers. I think they are equal., said Zak Brown, confirming a strategy he has been following since last year. They're in a fierce race. I don't think we've seen them have an epic battle yet, and I think that day will come. I'm looking forward to it."

Aware that battle is inevitable when two teammates are at the forefront, the American prefers to anticipate tensions and clashes rather than suffer them. For him, duel, competition, and respect are not incompatible: " They race hard but cleanly, so I know everyone is waiting for this big moment. From our side, internally, I think it will be a bit of a non-event. We know it's more a question of 'when' than 'if'. We have two great drivers – something will happen, but that's racing, so I'm looking forward to it. »

While tension hasn't yet arisen between the two drivers, it could well emerge in Miami, the next stop on the calendar. Last year, Lando Norris claimed his first Formula 1 victory there and now intends to put an end to his teammate's winning streak. One thing is certain: McLaren, the leading constructor with a 77-point lead over Mercedes, second, is for the moment satisfied with the work of his drivers at the wheel of the dominant MCL39. They're great guys, they're team players, they're great in the garage and they push each other to perform better. So yeah, I'm very happy with the drivers I have. " concluded Zak Brown.

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