What Zak Brown is doing to keep Oscar Piastri as Formula 1 rivals wait for ‘cracks’ at McLaren

Follow us on Google Discover

McLaren boss Zak Brown feels he has the strongest driver line-up on the Formula 1 grid. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri may not have the CV to match their rivals, but both have shown the potential to win world championships.

Combined, Piastri and Norris boast five Grand Prix victories, six poles (all scored by the latter) and 33 podiums. At 23 and 24, they’re also the youngest duo in the field.

Red Bull boast a three-time world champion and one of the all-time greats in Max Verstappen. But Sergio Perez has done little to prove he’s an elite-level driver since joining the team in 2021.

Mercedes have combined George Russell and Lewis Hamilton for the last three years, but in 2025 Hamilton will give way to Kimi Antonelli – the third-youngest driver in F1 history. The team will need to be patient as he develops, just as McLaren were with Piastri.

The upcoming partnership of Hamilton and Charles Leclerc at Ferrari will, in the eyes of many, be number one. But Brown will maintain that he wouldn’t swap his current pair for anyone else.

Piastri and Norris are on course to deliver McLaren’s first constructors title of the 21st century, having overtaken Red Bull and built up a 41-point lead. But increasing challenges lie ahead for the team’s management.

Zak Brown and Andrea Stella know ‘discontent’ could see Oscar Piastri leave McLaren

McLaren have maintained harmony within their garage thus far. There was a potential flashpoint at the Hungarian GP, when Norris disputed an instruction to restore Piastri’s lead, but there were few signs of tension afterwards.

The team are ready to ask Piastri to move aside in service of Norris’ title bid between now and the end of the season. But Brown won’t ask Piastri to give up a win, insisting that would be against their ethos.

This may surprise some given that they have a chance to reel in Verstappen, but according to Motorsport.com Italy, Brown and team principal Andrea Stella are wary of ‘creating cracks’. Their ‘opponents’ could capitalise by making a ‘tempting offer’ to Piastri.

Indeed, they’re aware that he’s ‘being watched outside the walls of McLaren’. And that’s why they’re ‘committed to avoiding any discontent’.

Oscar Piastri names the one thing he couldn’t ‘prepare’ for before McLaren move

Piastri is under contract until 2026 after signing an extension during his rookie year. It’s unclear whether that deal features any exit clauses, or whether he’ll have to wait another two seasons before evaluating his future.

Red Bull appear to be leading the race for Piastri, utilising their links with manager Mark Webber. Given his experience alongside Sebastian Vettel, the team’s star driver, Webber may only advocate the move if Verstappen leaves.

In Budapest, Piastri emulated Verstappen and Leclerc by winning a race in his second season. He also followed Hamilton in scoring podiums as a rookie.

Having won the Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles in back-to-back seasons, he always looked like a top-tier talent. But Piastri couldn’t ‘prepare’ for becoming ‘famous’ at McLaren, with his profile skyrocketing since his last summer.