F1
Zak Brown braces for 'inevitable' clash between Norris and Piastri
© Eric Alonso / DPPI
New championship leader, Oscar piastri is at the heart of a dynamic that is difficult to match. Led by his teammate Lando Norris Since the start of the season in Melbourne, the Australian seems to have taken a recently decisive psychological ascendancy within the team McLarenCalmer, less inclined to commit the irreparable up front, the young leader is establishing himself as an increasingly credible contender.
However, Zak Brown isn't fooled. Lando Norris isn't in a critical situation, and some of the weekends ahead could well be a lot less lighthearted than those experienced so far in 2025. "We have two racing drivers, it doesn't matter if they're part of the same team or not, they'll be side by side for 24 Grands Prix, and one of them will end up locking his brakes." confessed the American when questioned by Sky Sports on the subject.
Zak Brown trusts his drivers
Lucid but not worried, the executive director of the McLaren team assures that the possibility of his two protégés going off the track is not a source of anxiety at Woking. I'm almost impatient to get this over with, because I don't think it's going to be as exciting as everyone thinks, and I think it's going to be a racing incident, he tempers. I think it's inevitable. They're two big guys. Neither of them is a hothead, so we're not worried about it and, to a certain extent, we're looking forward to getting this thing over with."
Without hoping for a scenario similar to that experienced by Mercedes during the 2016 Barcelona Grand Prix – Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg had collided in the first sector of the first lap, ending their race – Zak Brown is not at all keen to avoid the duel. Clearly wiser than last season, when team orders were commonplace, McLaren strategists are no doubt taking stock of a car dominatrix who would know how to recover if a mishap were to occur.
However, drivers like Max Verstappen or George Russell are lurking this year. Oscar Piastri's excellent dynamic, the momentum sought after by all leaders, must not be disrupted by exacerbated aggression if the opportunity for battle arises.
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vincent moyet
23/04/2025 at 05:27 a.m.
I had fun seeing what the standings would be like if Piastri were (like at RBR) a second knife dropped at the gates of the top 2. Norris would have 10 wins but Verstappen too, and would be a few points behind him. So the situation is currently more comfortable at McLaren without a leader, because the two drivers are pushing Verstappen back to 2rd place with a bigger gap. And they have two chances against one for RB that one of their drivers will be crowned. But indeed, if the 3 McLarens self-eliminate, Verstappen immediately takes advantage. And once he is leading the championship, we know his tactics to block the road to an opponent, even if it means risking the collision that would allow him to maintain the advantage (like last year). So this is what McLaren must avoid at all costs.
Alain Féguenne (Luxembourg)
23/04/2025 at 03:43 a.m.
It could well happen, like in the McLaren, Prost/Senna era……. That's why we need to appoint a driver in 2025 ….. (Leader) otherwise Max will take advantage of it …… 😎👀😉
vincent moyet
22/04/2025 at 07:18 a.m.
Piastri isn't aggressive, but authoritarian, as he was at Monza last year at a not-so-great moment, handing victory to Leclerc. For the moment, it's a psychological battle between them, not on the track. By continuing on this terrain, the difference will be made without carbon effusion, and that's what Piastri wants, in my opinion. It's Norris who could become feverish and cause irreparable damage, he who seems more inclined to crack or be messy in the race. It's important to keep in mind that as long as Verstappen stays within 25 points of the leader of the standings, a collision between the two McLarens would give him the lead on a platter. So, even if it spoils the suspense a little, it might be necessary to designate a leader if this situation persists. F1 has already seen titles won by a third party who was able to take advantage of a fratricidal struggle: Stewart, Prost, for example.