McLaren's boss facing backlash over "2007 repeat" is completely unjustified

McLaren boss Zak Brown's comments that he would be fine with Max Verstappen winning the championship over Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, but not give preference to one of his drivers, have kicked off a storm. The American's comments have led to a massive backlash online as the fans have questioned the mentality involved here, as Brown was willing to give up a title but not be ruthless in his approach.

Before we address the controversy, let's take a look at what Zak Brown said. Talking to The Race, the American was questioned about the 2007 F1 season, where two McLaren drivers, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, were battling for the title, with Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen being the third protagonist. In the last race of the season, the Finn trumped both Alonso and Hamilton and would win the title by one point.

Brown was questioned if he feared an eventuality where Max Verstappen ends up taking advantage of McLaren not prioritising one of the drivers, to which the team boss claimed that he would have no issue if Verstappen ended up winning the title with this approach. He said,

"In the event that 2007 happens again, I’d rather have that outcome than all the other outcomes by playing favourites. We won’t do it.”

The comments have led to outrage from fans, as many have questioned the lack of ruthlessness from the team. In reality, however, Zak Brown's comments make perfect sense.

McLaren has two equally good drivers

The problem that McLaren faces right now is that the team has two equally talented and similarly efficient drivers, and there's not much that separates the two in terms of performance. The 2025 F1 season has shown that both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will have races where things work towards their strengths and other's weaknesses.

It is precisely why we have a scenario where we pick up any of the stats of the season, be it wins, pole positions, or points, the two are inseparable.

Neither has established himself as the leader

To add to this, for a team to give one driver preference over the other, that driver has to prove that he is the better of the two. He has to stamp his authority on the partnership, and that would lead to the team tilting in his direction should a rival from another team comes into contention.

Neither Lando Norris nor Oscar Piastri has been able to achieve it. To give both drivers credit, neither has let the momentum slip away and then let the rival take over. This is precisely why, with 20 races completed, the gap between the two drivers is just one point.

You can't just force the "preferential driver" dynamics

Finally, and most importantly, you can't just force the 'preferential driver treatment' within a team if neither of the two has earned it. In the current situation where both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are separated by just one point, on what basis would McLaren force the issue?

This would be perceived as an act of blatant favoritism, which the team would not want to be seen as. At the same time, it would be unfair to the drivers as well. Neither Lando Norris nor Oscar Piastri would come out of the situation looking good.

The criticism over a lack of ruthlessness

What we often tend to forget is that McLaren is not a team built on having one top driver and the entire squad revolves around him. This is a team that has been built by having two strong drivers who extract the most from the car at every race.

Even in the past when we've had teams doing this, they don't end up picking a preferential driver unless he has fallen too far down in the championship.

Red Bull in 2010 is an example of the same, where Sebastian Vettel would not lead the championship until the end of the championship, and even though Mark Webber was ahead for the bulk of the season, the team continued to give both drivers the opportunity to win.

It is understandable that the fans prefer teams to be ruthless, but McLaren's endeavor to keep harmony within the team also involves giving a fair shake to both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

It is the team's approach for long-term success beyond 2025, and that's how they want to run the team. In essence, it has given the drivers the best possible car on the grid, and if the duo still cannot win, then it's on them, more than anything else.

Edited by Charanjot Singh Kohli