McLaren Prioritizes Fairness as Title Race Intensifies in São Paulo

McLaren is prepared to sacrifice a chance at the Formula One world championship rather than show favoritism towards one of its drivers, as stated by the team’s chief executive, Zak Brown. With four races remaining, including the São Paulo Grand Prix on November 5, Lando Norris leads his teammate Oscar Piastri by just a single point in the standings. In contrast, Max Verstappen, looking to secure his fifth consecutive title, sits 36 points behind the leaders after significantly narrowing the gap from 104 points at the end of August.

Brown’s comments come as the championship race heats up, reminiscent of the dramatic 2007 season when Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari clinched the title by a mere point, narrowly defeating McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso. Reflecting on this history, Brown emphasized the importance of allowing both drivers the opportunity to compete for the championship without bias.

McLaren’s Commitment to Competition

“We’re well aware of 2007,” Brown remarked during an interview on Formula One’s ‘Beyond the Grid’ podcast. “But we’ve got two drivers who want to win the world championship. We’re playing offense; we’re not playing defense.” He expressed a preference for a scenario where both Norris and Piastri finish the season tied on points, losing out to another competitor, rather than choosing to favor one driver over the other.

Brown articulated his philosophy, stating, “I’d rather go ‘We did the best we can and our drivers tied on points and the other guy beat us by one’ than the alternative.” He added that it would be unacceptable to deny either driver the chance to pursue their championship dreams based on arbitrary decisions.

Drivers’ Performance and Team Strategy

Recent performances have seen Norris outperform Piastri in the last five races, leading to speculation regarding potential favoritism for the British driver. Yet, Brown insists that the best path to winning the constructors’ championship—an accolade McLaren secured for the second consecutive year last month—is through both drivers finishing in the top two positions.

Verstappen has been a dominant force for Red Bull Racing, contributing 321 of the team’s total of 346 points. Unlike his situation, McLaren’s dual-driver strategy adds a layer of complexity, as both drivers have the potential to impact each other’s standings. Brown is keen to ensure that if Verstappen ultimately prevails, it will be due to his superior performance against McLaren rather than internal team decisions.

“If the events of 2007 were to occur again, I’d rather have that outcome than all the other outcomes by playing favorites,” Brown concluded. “We won’t do it. We’re racers, we’re going racing.” This commitment to integrity and fairness is a testament to McLaren’s racing philosophy as they navigate the closing rounds of the championship.