Brown firm on McLaren equality as Verstappen threat grows

Zak Brown says McLaren will stick with its policy of treating Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri equally, despite mounting warnings that refusing to nominate a clear number one could hand the 2025 title to Max Verstappen.

With Singapore approaching, former F1 engineer Kees van de Grint told Viaplay that Piastri’s first-lap crash in Baku was “unworthy of a championship contender”, but urged McLaren to act and name him as their priority.

“They can’t be as relaxed on the pitwall as they were in Monza. Verstappen is a threat. If Norris wins and Piastri is third, they really need to decide who leads. This next race is decisive. If Verstappen wins there, McLaren will need sleeping pills for the nighttime.”

Brown, however, told Bloomberg he will not change course. “You’ve got to pay attention to Max, but we’ve got to keep doing what we’re doing. The constructors’ is looking very good. What we want is our two drivers fighting for the championship, equal opportunity, equal equipment. May the best man win.”

The McLaren chief admitted safety cars and reliability can disrupt the balance, but said the aim is to keep Norris and Piastri battling down to Abu Dhabi.

After his troubled Baku weekend, Piastri said he is ready for the rising pressure. “The intensity will naturally increase, and I’m ready for that. I’ve been in this situation before in other championships.

"It’s about how I handle the events coming up. Having a strong team around me is very important, and Mark (Webber) is certainly one of those people.”

Meanwhile, Brown confirmed McLaren Racing is now fully owned by Mumtalakat and CYVN Holdings after a final 30 percent sale, valuing the team at just over $4 billion.

“We’re completely done,” he said. “The sport is really hot right now. Every key figure, every demand for teams demonstrates that.”