Zak Brown Calls Managing Norris-Piastri Rivalry “Enjoyable”

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has insisted that managing the relationship between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, both on and off the track, is an “enjoyable” task rather than a problem. Speaking during the British Grand Prix weekend, Brown expressed his excitement over the intense rivalry between the two drivers and his hope that it will continue until the end of the 2025 season.

The Woking-based team has enjoyed a dominant first half of the campaign, building a commanding 238-point lead in the Teams’ Championship. Meanwhile, Norris and Piastri have established themselves well ahead of the competition in the Drivers’ standings. Their rivalry has already produced memorable moments, including the first collision between the two papaya cars at the Canadian Grand Prix and a fierce battle for victory in Austria.

Asked how he finds managing the intra-team battle, Brown responded, “Pretty awesome. 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.”

On whether it’s about keeping things clean on track while maintaining a good relationship off it, Brown said, “It’s not a problem. 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 teammate included, so it’s a pleasure to work with them.”

Brown also highlighted the mutual respect between the two drivers: “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. I think a lot of that is the chemistry that we’ve built in the team.”

Looking ahead, Brown expressed confidence that the battle will go down to the wire. “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.”