As the race for the Formula One driver’s championship heats up, so do tensions within McLaren, with CEO Zak Brown admitting it is “inevitable” that Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris will clash on the track.
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Currently leading the championship, Piastri is sitting 10 points ahead of second-placed Norris after the first five Grands Prix of 2025.
McLaren has dominated the competition with Piastri winning three races to Norris’ one.
The pair have seen no incidents to date; however, Brown looks forward to getting it out of the way, expecting one to happen very soon.
“I think it’s definitely a matter of when, rather than if,” Brown said to Sky Sports.
“You have two racing drivers, whether in the same team or different team, that are next to each other for 24 races, someone’s going to lock a brake…
“So I’m kind of looking forward to getting it over with because I don’t think it’s going to be anywhere near as exciting as everybody thinks.”
Piastri and Norris are both currently beating out reigning champion Max Verstappen, who is in third.
Piastri won back-to-back races at the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and if he goes on to win the Miami Grand Prix on May 5, he will become the 22nd different driver to take out three wins in a row in F1 history.
Piastri outduels Max to win Saudi GP | 03:22
The Australian’s early success has made him a strong contender for the championship title, however Norris also remains a favourite given his 2024 runners-up finish and consistency over the start of the 2025 season.
McLaren has no designated No.1 driver, meaning both Norris and Piastri are free to race.
“I think it will be a racing incident when that day comes. I think it’s inevitable,” Brown said.
“They’re two great characters. Neither of them are hotheads, so we’re not worried about it, and to a certain extent, kind of looking forward to just getting it out of the way.”
Brown believes a drivers’ clash is a necessary evil to see McLaren succeed in the long run and is hopeful the team will manage it cleanly, without need for any overreaction.
Coming off last year’s constructor’s title win, McLaren hopes to continue their success with Norris and Piastri and if either driver scores a win in Miami, the team will equal their best start to a season after six races ever at five wins from six.
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