McLaren CEO Zak Brown watched as Max Verstappen secured pole position for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Dutchman thereby landed the first blow against title rivals Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who lined up directly behind him. Despite this, Brown is satisfied with the result and McLaren is now strategizing for the race to finally bring the driver’s title to Woking this year.
“Well, he (Verstappen) did it again,” Zak Brown reacted in front of F1TV cameras. However, the American was very pleased with the second and third places for Norris and Piastri respectively. “I have a good feeling about it. It looks like we have a good race car for tomorrow. The top three in the championship are in the first three starting positions. We’re hoping for a good start and to finish the race cleanly. In that respect, we have a strategic advantage,” Brown referred to the fact that McLaren has two cars in the top three. “But it’s going to be nail-biting,” he grinned.
Brown was asked if championship leader Norris deliberately did not push to the limit to force pole position. After all, the Briton only needs a podium finish on Sunday to become champion. “I think both drivers are disappointed that they’re not on pole,” he replied. “There may have been some nerves at the beginning, but in the end, it was just business as usual. And Verstappen did a fantastic job.”
Zak Brown Reaches for the Bottle
Then the million-dollar question: will Norris and Oscar Piastri collaborate tomorrow to conquer the title? “Yes, of course,” Brown laughed, knowing that the collaboration between both drivers has been a topic of discussion all year. “But anything can happen tomorrow. We shouldn’t think too conservatively; the margins are too small, then you get swallowed up by all the other cars.” As for team orders, McLaren wants to largely wait and see how the race develops. “Right now, it could go either way, but during the race, we’ll see if we apply a certain strategy.”
“Max doesn’t just race fast, but also smart, so we’ll take all scenarios into account,” Brown concluded. “During those last qualifying rounds, my heart was in my throat.” If Max Verstappen manages to make it exciting again tomorrow, Zak Brown will reach for the bottle, he joked. “This is a great moment to plug our sponsor, Jack Daniel’s,” the American winked. “I wouldn’t mind having one of those tonight.”
