Zak Brown rejects team orders despite Max Verstappen threat to McLaren
The CEO of McLaren Racing, Zak Brown, confirmed that Woking outfit will not change his approach to manage Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in the pilot championship despite the threat of the quadruple champion Max Verstappen.
The Dutchman heads to the Singapore Grand Prix after consecutive victories in Italy and Azerbaijan. This, aggravated by a seventh place for Norris and a retirement after a Piastri accident in Baku, placed Verstappen 44 points behind Norris in the pilot ranking and 69 points behind the current leader Piastri with seven races to play.
So far, McLaren has experienced a dominant season. The team has the opportunity to win the manufacturers’ championship in Singapore because it is currently 333 points ahead of Mercedes in second position.
The team chose not to choose a number one driver and rather left Piastri and Norris to fight for the championship, which Brown confirmed that they would continue to do. Although this approach has led to large battles on the track, it also means that the two teammates are in danger of Verstappen.
“I think you have to pay attention to Max,” said Brown Bloomberg. “We have to continue to do what we do. The manufacturers seem very good; We had the chance to conclude in Baku, but let’s not talk about Baku. I hope we can do the job in Singapore.
Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Photo of: James Sutton / Motorsport Images
“And what we want to do is that we want our two pilots, and Max, but we would like to get him out of there, fight for the championship and give them equal chances, equal equipment, what we do and that the best man wins. This is what we want to do.
“We would like not to play a role if possible, but you enter, you know, Lando has had a mechanical problem and things can happen in safety cars and things of this nature, but I think that our goal is to simply put Lando and Oscar to participate in the championship in Abu Dhabi and perhaps the best driver victory.”
The 18th round of the 2025 season, the Singapore Grand Prix on the circuit on rue Marina Bay, is scheduled from October 3 to 5.
