Zak Brown 'amused' by accusations about Piastri relationship

Zak Brown responds to Piastri claims

The timing of Palou’s claims about Zak Brown not being involved in Piastri’s signing could not have come at a worse time for McLaren.

Discussion rages on about the Australian’s frustration with how McLaren handles his lap 1 incident with Norris in Singapore. From the 24-year-old’s perspective, the team should have ordered a swap after Norris made contact in order to overtake.

When the McLaren pit-wall opted not to intervene, the reaction was almost immediate – particularly given their decision to swap Piastri and Norris after the latter’s slow stop in Monza.

Despite their best efforts, the newly crowned constructors champions are feeling the scrutiny of this year’s title race. Somewhat inevitably, the use of “papaya rules” and their fairness are being questioned.

In this context, Palou’s statements in court add fuel to the fire as speculation engulfs the Woking-based outfit.

Eager to put these claims to bed, Zak Brown rubbished the notion he was uninvolved in signing Piastri. He made this clear when speaking to Reuters.

“I’m not sure which allegation amused me more – the notion that I would not be the one making a key decision about our driver line-up, or the suggestion that I wasn’t on board with signing the hugely talented Oscar Piastri.

“Both allegations are clearly ludicrous, and anyone who follows our sport will see straight through them.

“We have the absolute best driver pairing on the F1 grid in Oscar and Lando. I could not be more thrilled with their incredible performance and their sportsmanship.

“I’m excited for the awesome racing we’re going to see for the rest of the season.”

All eyes on McLaren

It is easy to forget the controversial circumstances of McLaren’s acquisition of Oscar Piastri. The British team took the paddock – including their own driver Daniel Ricciardo – by surprise when they secured Piastri’s services.

McLaren also met resistance from Alpine, who prematurely declared they had “promoted” the Australian for the 2023 season – an announcement that came in reaction to Alonso’s departure from Alpine and despite Piastri already signing with the British outfit.

Irrespective of this, it cannot be a surprise that more and more scrutiny is on Zak Brown and Andrea Stella’s team. As their drivers fight for the title, it will be increasingly difficult to police their actions from race to race.

A sense of unfairness, whether this interpretation is fair or not, will inevitably follow McLaren if they persist in micro-managing the Championship battle. A more hands-off approach, both for fans and team morale, would be prudent moving forward.

Of course, they may have to begin factoring Max Verstappen into their calculations moving forward.

Should the Dutchman continue reducing the gap in the standings, it will leave McLaren in an even trickier position. Their hope, therefore, will be for Piastri and Norris to have a straight fight for the crown until Abu Dhabi.