Brown praises "pretty awesome" Norris and Piastri battle

Wednesday, 16 July 2025 at 07:30

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has dismissed any suggestion of tension between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, insisting the in-house driver battle is a source of excitement, not concern, as the team continues its dominant 2025 Formula 1 campaign.

Woking-based McLaren has stormed into title contention with a commanding 238-point lead in the 2025 F1 Constructors' Championship, while both Norris and Piastri have pulled clear of their rivals in the Drivers’ standings.

That success has also brought intra-team flashpoints, most notably a collision in Canada and a fierce duel for victory in Austria.

Speaking during the British Grand Prix weekend, Brown called the internal battle “pretty awesome” and praised both drivers for their professionalism on and off the track.

“I thought Austria was an epic race – everyone’s been kind of waiting to see that race between the two of them and they were on it, they were fast, they were aggressive, they gave each other racing room and it was very exciting. So I’m looking forward to seeing more of that," said Brown.

It’s a pleasure to work with them

Despite the rising competitive tension between his drivers, Brown insisted the working relationship between Norris and Piastri remains strong and respectful.

“It’s not a problem,” Brown said when asked about managing the duo. “It’s quite enjoyable, and they want to race fairly. They just want equal equipment, fair treatment, which is exactly what they get, and they want to beat 19 other cars, their team mate included, so it’s a pleasure to work with them.”

“They’ve got a tremendous amount of respect for each other – how you see them conduct themselves, that’s how they are behind the scenes,” he added. “I think a lot of that is the chemistry that we’ve built in the team.”

Looking ahead, Brown said he wouldn’t mind if the championship went down to the wire between his two drivers: “I see no reason why it can’t come down to Abu Dhabi and I hope the two of them are battling it out, and when it’s all said and done they shake hands and say, ‘Job well done’ and go again next year.”

(Reporting by Agnes Carlier)