Family battle
With 14 Grands Prix completed and 10 still to go, it is becoming increasingly clear — barring any dramatic upsets — that the 2025 Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship will be a two-horse race between the two McLaren teammates. Oscar Piastri heads into the summer break leading the championship with a nine-point advantage over Lando Norris, and between them, the British team’s drivers have secured an impressive total of 11 race wins so far this season.
Max Verstappen’s 97-point deficit from the championship lead, coupled with Red Bull Racing’s ongoing struggles, seems to have effectively confirmed that the title fight is now a private affair within the McLaren garage.
Zak Brown speaks
In an interview with BBC Sport, McLaren Chief Executive Officer Zak Brown addressed the topic of the intense intra-team duel: “I expect there might be a few more difficult moments ahead,” referencing the collision where Lando Norris rear-ended Oscar Piastri in Canada, “but they won’t end up fighting for real thanks to the level of communication, trust, and respect we have in the team and that they have for each other. We are very fortunate to have two personalities like that, and I’m really looking forward to seeing them race against each other.”
Zak Brown explained that he has already spoken individually to both drivers: “I asked each of them if their teammate ever did anything that upset them. And both answered ‘never.’ So there is competitiveness, but we don’t feel any real tension. If there’s another contact between them, I’m confident it won’t be intentional — they won’t push each other off the track. They will behave fairly.”
The American manager expressed pride in McLaren’s approach: “Our way of operating is open and transparent, and if anything were to come up, we would address it immediately. Oscar and Lando will challenge each other for a long time within our team, and it is essential that their relationship continues to grow.”
Zak Brown is clear about how the team will manage the situation as the championship nears its conclusion: “Only one of them can win, so it will be tough for the other. We will sit down and talk to them, asking how they would like us to handle the situation.”
He also firmly rejected any suggestions of psychological weakness on Norris’s part: “That’s not an accurate narrative. Lando is open and shows his emotions clearly. He is in a fantastic moment and is doing an amazing job. This year he has won four or five races starting from pole position, but nobody seems to talk about that.”
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