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Zak Brown underlines: 'Important to draw the line because of Verstappen'
According to McLaren CEO Zak Brown, Lando Norris does not make a mistake by regularly admitting to his mistakes. The American believes that's not a weakness, given how he performed on track on other occasions. However, Brown also underlined that a limit has to be drawn in the rule book for Max Verstappen.
"The world has changed. [It's] more transparent. Admitting weaknesses is a strength these days. We all have them," Brown told Auto, Motor und Sport. "Maybe sometimes Lando is too frank and it's better to keep certain things to himself. But I don't think that's a weakness on the track. Lando drove brilliantly in Austin. The only thing he could have done differently was run into Max. But that's not our style and not Lando's either."
Norris received a time penalty in the United States, losing his podium spot to Verstappen. Brown saw that the situation sparked a big discussion about the rules in Formula 1."That is also necessary," the McLaren CEO believes.
"Lando drives hard but fair. Max is an incredible driver who pushes the rules to the limit. But you have to show him where the limits are. If that doesn't happen, there will be scenes like the one between Lewis and Max in 2021, when Lewis said to himself: enough is enough. I don't think we want to go back to that," the American underlined.
Brown on possible battle between Norris and Piastri in the future
This season, McLaren are now once again involved in title battles. The British team lead the constructors' championship, and Norris mathematically could still win the drivers' title. The MCL38 was also the most competitive car on the grid for a while, but Ferrari and also Red Bull with their Dutch driver could close in. With the regulations remaining the same next year, the Woking-based team could also start with a clean slate and high hopes in 2025.
Norris and Oscar Piastri are both expected to have a shot to be in the battle next season. Like on many occasions, the teammates could end up in a heated battle. "I am not worried, but I realise that something like this can happen if you are not careful. There are plenty of examples from the past. Piquet vs Mansell, Hamilton vs Rosberg. A lot depends on the personality of the drivers. We are lucky to have two lions in the cage, but they get along very well," Brown said.
"The transparency we cultivate at McLaren creates trust. And when a storm threatens, we try to contain it before it grows in strength. That's why we always involve our drivers together in our marketing activities, play golf together and go out to dinner together in the evening. This helps us cope with difficult situations, like the team orders in Hungary. I'm pretty sure we can handle this in the future as well," he concluded.
This article was written in collaboration with Corwin Kunst
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