Zak Brown defends McLaren's driver management after Norris championship win

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has defended the team's management of its drivers during the intense 2024 championship battle, stating that many believed it would be "impossible" to handle a title fight between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri fairly. Brown expressed immense pride in the team's approach, which allowed both drivers to compete openly until the final race in Abu Dhabi, where Norris ultimately clinched the world title.

Why it matters:

Managing a close intra-team championship battle is one of the most delicate challenges in Formula 1, with history showing it can fracture team dynamics. McLaren's ability to let Norris and Piastri race freely without team orders, while maintaining fairness through their 'papaya rules', demonstrates a successful model for handling elite driver pairings and could influence how other teams approach similar situations in the future.

The details:

• Brown revealed that "most people thought that would be impossible to pull off," referring to the team's policy of letting both drivers compete for the title until the very end.
• The team implemented specific 'papaya rules' to ensure fairness, including strategic position swaps like the one executed at Monza to compensate Norris for a disadvantaged pit stop.
• Brown praised both drivers, calling them "awesome all year" and highlighting the particular challenge of competing against Max Verstappen.
• He drew a parallel to the intense Mercedes rivalry between Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, which also went down to the final race, suggesting McLaren handled a similar high-pressure scenario successfully.

Looking ahead:

With both Norris and Piastri secured on long-term contracts, Brown confirmed that McLaren's philosophy will not change. He firmly believes their approach is "the right way to go racing" with two top-tier drivers. This stability and clear team ethos will be crucial as McLaren aims to build on its 2024 success and mount another sustained championship challenge against the established frontrunners in the coming seasons.