Brown highlights key differences between Verstappen and Norris: “Clear lines need to be drawn for Max” – McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has called for stricter regulations in Formula One to ensure fair play as the season progresses. Brown’s comments come in the midst of the championship battle between Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and McLaren’s Lando Norris, which Brown feels has not always been fought on a level playing field.
Drawing lessons from the controversial 2021 title showdown, Brown stresses the importance of clarity and enforcement in the sport’s rules, while expressing confidence in McLaren’s own harmonious driver line-up.
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Verstappen set for fourth title
The 2024 Formula One season looks set to deliver another world championship to Max Verstappen. The Red Bull ace extended his lead at the top of the standings with a commanding victory in the São Paulo Grand Prix, while Norris finished sixth. The points gap is now 62 points, meaning that Verstappen only needs to finish slightly ahead of Norris in the Las Vegas Grand Prix to claim a fourth driver’s title.
The stakes in Las Vegas are relatively straightforward. Verstappen only needs to lead by a minimum of 60 points after Qatar, giving him the cushion to potentially finish behind Norris and still win the championship.
While the spotlight is on Verstappen’s likely coronation, Brown and McLaren have raised concerns about how Verstappen’s aggressive racing style is affecting the fairness of the competition.
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Contrasting driving styles: Norris vs. Verstappen
There has been a lot of commentary in recent weeks about the driving styles and on-track behaviour of Norris and Verstappen. Brown noted these differences, pointing to Norris’ candour and integrity behind the wheel.
“Lando may be too open at times, but it doesn’t affect his performance on the track,” Brown said in an interview with *Auto, Motor und Sport*.
“He drives hard, but honestly.”
While Brown acknowledged Verstappen’s immense talent, he also stressed the need for stricter control.
“Max is an exceptional driver who always pushes the boundaries,” Brown explained.
“But it’s important to set clear boundaries for him. That’s the only way to avoid situations like the one we saw between Lewis [Hamilton] and Max in 2021.”
Brown’s comments reflect wider concerns in the paddock about the consistency with which the rules are applied during wheel-to-wheel battles. The controversial incidents of the 2021 season, particularly between Verstappen and Hamilton, remain a flashpoint for discussions about the sport’s regulatory framework.
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McLaren’s dual focus: Drivers’ and constructors’ titles
While Verstappen’s dominance appears to have sealed the Drivers’ Championship, McLaren are engaged in an equally fierce battle for supremacy in the Constructors’ Championship. McLaren currently hold a 36-point advantage over Ferrari in the battle for second place. Despite this strong position, Brown remains realistic.
“I wouldn’t call it a missed opportunity if we didn’t win the Constructors’ Championship,” said Brown.
“We didn’t reach our current level of performance until Miami. Obviously I’d like to win at least one title, but it’s a tough challenge. Ferrari are strong and Red Bull remain a massive threat.”
McLaren’s resurgence this season has been one of the standout stories in F1. After a slow start to the year, the team has made significant strides in car development, closing the gap on the front runners and becoming a consistent threat at the top of the grid.
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Building for the future: Harmony between Norris and Piastri
Looking ahead, McLaren is already preparing for a potential title challenge in 2025. The team has demonstrated its ability to develop competitive cars, and with Norris and rookie sensation Oscar Piastri both proving capable of winning races, Brown is optimistic about the future.
Norris has taken three victories this season, while Piastri has added two wins to his tally.
Brown expressed confidence in McLaren’s ability to manage a potential rivalry within the team, drawing on lessons from the past. McLaren famously endured tensions in the late 1980s when Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost were both challenging for championships within the same team. But Brown believes today’s environment is different.
“I’m not overly worried about conflicts between Lando and Oscar, but I’m aware of the risks,” explained Brown.
“It depends a lot on their personalities and we’re lucky to have two drivers who respect each other. Transparency is a cornerstone of the way we work at McLaren.”
The team has fostered camaraderie through shared experiences, including marketing activities, golf outings and team dinners. According to Brown, these initiatives have strengthened the bond between Norris and Piastri, ensuring the team can overcome challenging moments, such as enforcing team orders at the Hungarian Grand Prix earlier this season.
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Learning from the past, preparing for the future
Brown’s comments reflect his belief in the importance of a well-defined regulatory framework, not only for fairness but for the long-term health of Formula One. By learning from past controversies and fostering a collaborative team culture, McLaren aims to be a major contender in the years to come.
As Verstappen looks set for his fourth title, McLaren continues to push for competitive consistency in both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships. While challenges remain, the team’s upward trajectory and harmonious driver line-up position them as a serious threat to Red Bull’s dominance in the near future.
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Did collaboration cost McLaren the Drivers’ Championship?
While McLaren’s team-oriented approach has been widely praised, some critics have suggested that it may have inadvertently cost Lando Norris a shot at the Drivers’ Championship in 2024.
Unlike Red Bull, who have long focused their strategy on maximising Max Verstappen’s title ambitions, McLaren have adopted a more balanced approach, giving both Norris and rookie teammate Oscar Piastri equal opportunities to succeed. While this philosophy has fostered harmony, it may have diluted McLaren’s chances of challenging Verstappen more aggressively.
Norris was the team’s clear points leader, but McLaren’s refusal to prioritise him clearly led to key moments when the team’s strategy could have been sharper.
For example, instances of split strategies or delayed decisions to implement team orders – such as the well-documented scenario in Hungary – have occasionally cost Norris valuable points. Had McLaren adopted a more Verstappen-like approach of fully backing their lead driver, the gap to Verstappen may have been smaller heading into the final races.
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Balancing long-term goals with immediate results
This collaborative approach underlines McLaren’s focus on the long-term health of the team, with the aim of creating a championship-calibre environment for both Norris and Piastri.
However, it has raised the question of whether a more aggressive, driver-centric strategy could have delivered immediate results this season. Verstappen has benefited from Red Bull’s unwavering support, with the team rallying behind him at critical moments. Meanwhile, McLaren’s broader approach has meant fewer risks, but also fewer opportunities to exploit their rivals’ weaknesses.
Brown’s emphasis on teamwork and harmony reflects his desire to avoid the toxic rivalries that have plagued other teams in the past. However, with a more singular focus on Norris, McLaren may have stood a better chance of disrupting Verstappen’s dominance. Balancing these competing priorities – immediate title contention versus long-term sustainability – remains one of McLaren’s toughest challenges as it seeks to regain its place at the pinnacle of F1.
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Verstappen’s tactic is to crash into anybody who might stop him winning, shared with Schumacher and Senna in times past. Fortunately we don’t regard this as acceptable in the rules today.
I confess I couldn’t bring myself to read this article in its entirety: what a TOTAL hypocrite ZB is!! He calls for total transparency, complete adherence to the rules, etc … but happily exploits them when it suits! Where would McLaren be this year if the FIA had promptly closed down the flexi-wing issue, as it should have?? He’s good mates with TW – and together they focus on ‘bashing’ RB and MV, rather than focus on their own drivers/team.