Zak Brown warns McLaren risks a 2007-style rivalry between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Zak Brown warns about the growing rivalry between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri at McLaren.

Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren, has openly acknowledged concerns about managing the competitive dynamic between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Brown fears that the rivalry between the two talented drivers could escalate and become difficult to control, reminiscent of the infamous 2007 season marked by fierce internal battles within McLaren. Despite the risks, Brown believes that fostering this kind of competition within the team is ultimately worthwhile.

The 2025 McLaren team is dominating the Formula 1 championship so far, boasting an impressive 11 wins out of 14 races and two drivers locked in a close fight for the title, separated by a mere nine points. This tight internal competition, however, raises concerns about the possibility of a damaging sibling rivalry unfolding within the team.

Zak Brown has been candid about this worry, referencing one of the most intense and turbulent moments in recent Formula 1 history.

A rivalry managed — but only up to a point

Back in 2007, the rivalry between rookie Lewis Hamilton and two-time world champion Fernando Alonso exploded into a full-blown internal conflict that shook McLaren to its core. That year, McLaren and its drivers narrowly lost the world championship by just one point to Kimi Räikkönen. The situation was further exacerbated by the infamous Spygate scandal, which severely undermined the team’s internal stability.

Today, however, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are more mature, and McLaren appears to be a more united team. Still, the threat of tensions remains, with two highly competitive drivers eager to battle fiercely until the last corner of every race.

Zak Brown stresses that Norris and Piastri are treated with perfect fairness, without any contractual preferences or favoritism. This approach, in theory, should prevent friction, but on the race track, the competition is intense and unrelenting.

Incidents like the on-track contact between the two drivers in Canada and their strategic duel in Hungary clearly indicate that the tension can escalate quickly. Brown admits, “We don’t think they will ever hate each other, but we know there will be more contacts.” Despite this, he remains confident in the team’s internal transparency and ability to handle the pressure.

The atmosphere within McLaren is currently calm, but with so much at stake, the delicate balance could shatter at any moment. If history is about to repeat itself, this time no one will be able to claim they were not warned.