Old love never dies! This week, McLaren CEO Zak Brown stated that should he unexpectedly need to replace Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri, the door is always open for Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard already drove for the British racing team for two seasons in 2019 and 2020. For now, both McLaren drivers have long-term contracts, but Brown is never averse to a bit of ‘Fantasy Formula 1’.
Zak Brown attended the Laureus Sports Awards in Madrid on Wednesday. The American represented McLaren, which was nominated for the prestigious title of Sports Team of the Year. However, the honor went to football club Real Madrid, which won both the Spanish Liga and the UEFA Champions League in 2024. The Spanish media present took their chance to ask Brown about the driver market in Formula 1. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are both signed for a longer period, but Brown stated – purely hypothetically – that national hero Carlos Sainz is always welcome at McLaren.
‘Great driver and good friend’
“If we had a spot available, we would of course reconsider Carlos Sainz,” said Brown. “But at the moment we have Lando (Norris) and Oscar (Piastri) in the team for a few more years. However, should the situation change and Sainz become available, I have his phone number in my contacts,” he responded with a wink.”
Sainz swapped McLaren for Ferrari in 2021. After four seasons, the Spaniard was sacrificed this year in favor of Lewis Hamilton. This led to some criticism, but Brown explained that such decisions are not made lightly. “It’s not as simple as it seems,” Brown said about Sainz’s most recent transfer. “Many factors come into play in such situations. Lewis Hamilton is, after all, a seven-time world champion, and it’s not often that you can get such an athlete on your team. But at the same time, we have always experienced Carlos as a great driver – a great driver and also a good friend. Fortunately, it was not up to me to make that choice,” he concluded with a grin.
