McLaren team boss Zak Brown has made it clear that his team will maintain a fair fight between its drivers, even in a title battle with Max Verstappen. The British racing team will not favor either Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri. The American spoke candidly about the possibility of Verstappen ultimately snatching the world title from McLaren’s grasp.
“If that happens, I’ll shake his hand and say: ‘Job well done'”, Brown firmly states in the Beyond the Grid podcast. “I want to make sure that if we don’t win, we are beaten by someone else – not by ourselves. That’s important.” The McLaren boss refers to the infamous 2007 season, when Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton ended up with exactly the same points at McLaren, but the title went to Kimi Räikkönen. “We are very aware of 2007,” says Brown. “Two drivers with the same number of points, one finishing in front. But we have two drivers who both want to become world champion. We race to win, not to defend.”
According to Brown, McLaren will not designate an internal number one, even if the championship is at stake. “I would rather we give it our all, our drivers finish equally, and the other wins by one point, than I have to tell one of them now: ‘I know you dream of the world title, but we flipped a coin and you’re not allowed to try.’ Forget it,” he states emphatically.
No Favoritism at McLaren
The American emphasizes that McLaren will not favor any of its drivers, as it does not fit with the team’s ethos. “That’s not how we race. If 2007 happens again, then so be it. I prefer that scenario over any other outcome where we are biased. We’re not going to do that.” With four Grand Prix and two sprint races to go, it seems McLaren is fully committed to a fair, open battle between World Championship leader Lando Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri – even if it gives Max Verstappen a clear path to clinch a fifth world title.
