Zak Brown insists having two number 1 drivers is the ‘McLaren way’ despite rumors of backing Lando Norris

Zak Brown claims that having two 'number 1' drivers is McLaren's way, similar to their past experience with Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.

Zak Brown insists having two number 1 drivers is the ‘McLaren way’ despite rumors of backing Lando Norris

Lando Norris with Oscar Piastri and Zak Brown(all images via IMAGO)

McLaren has built such a dominant car that both their drivers can perform at their best. In the recent Italian GP, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri started from the front row, securing positions 1-2. However, Norris, who took pole on Saturday, couldn’t convert it into a win on Sunday and finished in P3. Despite this, McLaren are yet to decide if they would prioritize Norris over Piastri, as he is closer to a title fight against Max Verstappen.

The Italian GP saw Oscar Piastri giving a tough battle to teammate Lando Norris who started from P1. He managed to overtake Norris at the end of the first lap and was leading the race. However, the race didn’t favor McLaren, as Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc was just behind Piastri who later won the race. Zak Brown stated that Norris and Piastri, both young and eager to win, are treated equally at McLaren. The team supports them both fully, without designating a clear number one driver, promoting fair competition. However, team principal Andrea Stella has mentioned they would prioritize the Briton over the title fight.

They are both young drivers who want to win, we have always believed in having two number ones.
Zak Brown told SkySportsF1
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Zak Brown mentioned that McLaren has always given equal treatment to their drivers. He noted that this approach isn’t new for McLaren, as it also happened with Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost in the past. Their time at McLaren was intense, creating a highly competitive environment and difficult competition on track.

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That’s always been McLaren’s way, it can be difficult to manage. We’ve seen it with Senna and Prost.
Zak Brown added.
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Zack Brown asserts Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri race against each other fairly

Zak Brown explained that Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have a good relationship and race each other fairly. He raised a question about whether a team should focus on one driver or support both equally. If Lando had been clearly leading, McLaren wouldn’t face tough decisions. However, since both drivers are performing well, the team must carefully manage their strategies.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri (image via IMAGO)
They get along great, they race each other clean, and it’s philosophical – are you a one-car team or a two-car team? The easiest thing would have been for Lando to just run away with it, and then not have to put difficult decisions on the pit wall.
Zak Brown stated.

Therefore, It’s important for McLaren to support both drivers right now because their title hopes are on the line. McLaren is currently just 8 points behind Red Bull in the Constructors. Hence, They need both drivers to score points in the next race to take the lead in the championship.

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