Oct 20, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; McLaren Formula 1 Team CEO Zak Brown before the start of the 2024 Formula One US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

McLaren's Plan for Lando Norris-Oscar Piastri On-Track Battle

Originally posted on F1 on SI | By Nelson Espinal | Last updated Apr 28, 2025 12:59 AM ET

McLaren sits comfortably at the top of both championships in F1, with the biggest challenge, at least for the next few races, being to maintain team harmony and ensure their drivers cross the finish line.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have not had many contentious moments in 2025, mainly due to Norris's lackluster qualifying performances that have forced the British driver to make up lost ground while Oscar is left as the sole McLaren at the top.

Norris will eventually regain his form and should be alongside Piastri in the upcoming races, which could lead to drama regarding the team's decisions.

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Typically, a team prefers to have their fastest driver ahead, or the one leading in the championship.

Since it is too early to worry about the championship points distribution, the team will allow the pair to race; however, it could become nerve-wracking if either driver defends too aggressively.

Last year, McLaren faced some blunders in how they managed both drivers, failing to provide clear team orders and establish a clear priority in the race.

zak brown’s existence is a harassment in itself pic.twitter.com/Cz9842vAIz
— ৎ୭ ִ ruby¹ ࣪ (@F4iRYM3X) April 21, 2025

In anticipation for the on-track battles, McLaren CEO Zak Brown says that the team has a plan.

“The good of the team is to try and get 1-2s,” he told Channel 4. “It’s up to them to decide who is P1 and who is P2. They are free to race."

“You haven’t seen that really epic battle yet. I think it’s a matter of time. They will race each other cleanly and hard."

“They will race each other cleanly and hard."

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“It’s not ‘if’ something happens, it’s ‘when’ something happens… It’s okay, they are racing hard, they are strong competitors."

“We have already discussed it. All those people who want to see something exciting happen? It will be a non-event."

“We will talk it through, learn from it. You can’t have two drivers like we have, and not expect some excitement from time to time.”

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Lando and Oscar on the mic

Appreciating the team’s efforts #McLaren | #SaudiArabiaGP pic.twitter.com/B6TVbUYhMS
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) April 20, 2025

Piastri currently leads Norris by ten points in the Drivers' Championship, a small margin that can easily be cut, though he will need to be more consistent throughout race weekends.

Norris has struggled to find an ideal setup in which he feels comfortable, which has led to an inability to achieve an optimal, clean lap in Q3.

This gives him a disadvantage initially, but if he enhances his qualifying performance, he could become a real contender against Piastri.

Through the first two seasons, Norris has beaten Piastri in qualifying and in the race, which means he should have the speed advantage as he becomes more comfortable.

However, if Piastri has truly taken another step, Lando will need to improve himself or miss out on an opportunity to win a title.

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This article first appeared on F1 on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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